Johannesburg, South Africa – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) successfully concluded a Regional Training of Trainers (ToT) on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and Trafficking in Persons (TiP) under the SRHR-HIV Knows No Borders (KNB) Programme, Phase II. The training, held from 16-20^th September 2024 in Johannesburg, South Africa, brought together key project staff and implementing partners from Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The week-long regional ToT was organized by IOM in collaboration with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Maputo, Mozambique, and Save the Children, with the objective of capacitating project staff to enable them to cascade knowledge and skills gained on MHPSS, SGBV and TiP to KNB Change Agents (CAs), who are the programme's foot soldiers working within communities in the implementing sites. The community-based KNB CAs are the cornerstone of the programme and provide peer-to-peer health education and referrals for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and HIV services to the KNB beneficiaries, i.e., young vulnerable people, migrants and sex workers living in migration affected communities. Additionally, CAs are often the first point of contact for the KNB beneficiaries, making them a valuable resource for providing MHPSS and SGBV support and identifying victims of trafficking.

Mental health is a human right and a crucial aspect of overall well-being, especially for migrants who often face multiple stressors such as exploitation, abuse, loss of identity, discrimination, and social isolation throughout their migration journey. Youth and sex workers in migration-affected communities are particularly vulnerable, with many facing emotional distress, stigma, and economic instability. The ToT provided participants with knowledge and skills to facilitate training of CAs on how to offer support to beneficiaries experiencing these challenges, focusing on basic psychosocial support, psychological first aid (PFA) and MHPSS referral pathways.

Participants also gained critical insights into the various forms of SGBV and the impacts on mental health, learning to identify survivors, support systems available for survivors and providing appropriate referrals for support services. The ToT further focused on Trafficking in Persons (TIP), equipping participants with the tools to identify victims of trafficking and refer them to protection services.

Speaking at the opening of the training, the Regional Director of IOM sub-Regional Office for Southern Africa, Justin Macdermott, stated that “the mental health and psychosocial needs of migrants, young vulnerable people, and sex workers in migration-affected communities cannot be overlooked. This training equips our staff with the tools to build a resilient community through effective mental health support and the prevention of gender-based violence. We are grateful to our partners, especially the Kingdom of the Netherlands, for their continued support in this important initiative.”

The SRHR-HIV KNB II Programme continues to address health disparities faced by migrants and vulnerable groups in southern Africa by providing holistic, human rights-based interventions. Through this training, IOM and its partners have reaffirmed their commitment to improving mental health and SRHR-HIV outcomes, ensuring that no one is left behind.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Dr. Hloniphile Mabusa hmabuza@iom.int