Reconnect

Our solution aims to address mental health issues of Egyptian women, children, and the LGBTQI+ community who were imprisoned in freedom of expression and public freedom cases, as well as their family members who were psychologically affected by their imprisonment. For victims of torture and arbitrary arrest, it is important that they receive the care and support they need to overcome the trauma they have experienced. Egyptian prisoners often experience all sorts of abuse during their imprisonment such as severe physical and psychological violence, enforced disappearance, deliberate medical negligence, denial of visitation, rape, and solitary confinement, in addition to the inhumane conditions of the prison which can lead to long-lasting mental health effects such as anxiety, depression, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). According to data gathered by Belady, the rate of women, children, and sexual minorities who were imprisoned in freedom of expression and public freedom cases and who attempted suicide at least once between 2013 and 2021 reached 46 prisoners, 37 of them died. The number of those who attempted suicide is much bigger, yet the real numbers are being concealed by the authorities. 

As for prisoners’ families, having a loved one in prison can be a very difficult and stressful experience, and it can impact their mental health and well-being. They may experience feelings of shame, guilt, anger, sadness, and anxiety, which can all contribute to psychological distress.

In addition, the experience of having a family member in prison can also lead to social isolation, financial strain, and a range of other challenges that can affect mental health. Family members may also struggle with feelings of stigma and shame associated with having a loved one in prison, which can further exacerbate psychological distress.

The stigma surrounding mental health issues remains prevalent in the Arab region, with many people still viewing mental illness as a sign of weakness or a moral-religious failing. This stigma can prevent people from seeking help and can also result in discrimination and social exclusion for those with mental health problems. Furthermore, there is a general lack of public awareness about mental health issues, which can further compound the stigma and prevent people from seeking help. Even when they do seek assistance for mental health concerns, they often experience significant barriers when attempting to access adequate mental health services. This is due to the general underfunding and understaffing of mental health services, as well as the shortage of trained mental health professionals. Additionally, the healthcare system in Egypt tends to prioritize physical health over mental health, which further contributes to the lack of available resources for mental health services.

Our solution is to provide victims of torture and arbitrary arrest and their families with psychological assistance through free online sessions with psychologists. These sessions will be held via Signal application, or Google Voice for those who do not have smartphones.

Our solution also includes launching a podcast with experts that covers a wide range of topics related to the mental health and well-being of victims of torture and arbitrary arrest and their families, helps raise awareness and reduce stigma around mental health issues, provides information and resources for individuals struggling with mental health challenges, and promote strategies for maintaining good mental health and well-being. The podcasts include a Q&A session during which experts answer questions sent anonymously from victims of torture and arbitrary arrest and their families.

We also aim to add a section on Belady’s website related to mental health in which we upload our podcasts.

The main beneficiaries are Egyptian women, children, and the LGBTQI+ community who were imprisoned in freedom of expression and public freedom cases, as well as their family members who were psychologically affected by their imprisonment. This category is suffering from the lack of access to mental health services that are underfunded and understaffed, in addition to the stigma, discrimination, and social exclusion inflicted on them by many people who still view mental illness as a sign of weakness or a moral failing. 

Our solution will address their needs by providing them with free psychological support to help them overcome stigma, isolation, and mental health challenges and promote strategies for maintaining their good mental health and well-being.

Enhancing mental health can lead to better management of mental illness symptoms, while also promoting overall well-being and physical health. This is because mental and physical health are closely interrelated, and improving one can positively impact the other. Furthermore, by offering mental health support, we can help reduce the stigma associated with mental illness, which in turn can foster greater empathy and comprehension among people. Ultimately, this can enable individuals to lead more fulfilling and delightful lives.

Belady’s team is uniquely qualified to design and deliver legal and psychological assistance to women, children, and the LGBTQI+ community who have been arrested or imprisoned on freedom of expression and public freedom grounds in Egypt. 

The team is composed of qualified lawyers who maintain direct communication with victims of torture and arbitrary arrest and their families, carefully monitoring their well-being and personally connecting with them. The team also includes two psychologists who bring a deep understanding of the psychological needs of victims of torture and arbitrary arrest and their families.

Moreover, Belady’s team includes five victims of torture and arbitrary arrest who possess an extensive understanding of the needs and challenges faced by victims of torture and arbitrary arrest and their families, highlighting the necessity for psychological support. These team members have first-hand experience of the challenges faced by the target population, making them well-positioned to understand and respond to their needs.

To ensure that the team is designing and delivering effective solutions that meet the needs of the communities they serve, they engage in ongoing communication with victims of torture and arbitrary arrest and their families. The team actively listens to their experiences, challenges, and concerns and incorporates their input, ideas, and agendas into the design and implementation of our activities.

The solution is currently serving 20 people. 15 among them are victims of torture and arbitrary arrest and 5 are family members of those victims.

We are applying to SOLVE because it encourages and promotes the provision of technology-based solutions to maintain access to healthcare which is something we are trying to work on and improve to overcome distance barriers. 

We are leveraging the advancements in technology and expansion of its access to extend the reach of our mental health services to a wider audience. Through the use of chat/meetup  platforms, we can offer counseling and therapy sessions online, enabling patients to access care from the convenience of their own homes, and eliminating the need for travel. This is particularly beneficial for individuals who may have difficulty accessing traditional therapy services.

Moreover, for individuals who have experienced trauma, and may be hesitant to participate in our online mental health sessions, we are also providing digital self-help resources. These resources will include interactive podcasts on our website to help users manage their symptoms, track their progress, and connect with others who have had similar experiences. Overall, we are committed to using technology and innovative approaches to improve the mental health and well-being of our patients.

Our primary objective is to facilitate access to mental health support for victims of torture and arbitrary arrest and their families - our target populations who would never think of -or have access to- help before. We plan to extend our reach to more individuals who require assistance to overcome trauma, improve their well-being and reduce the stigma associated with mental health concerns. In addition, we aim to broaden our target audience to include women victims of domestic violence who are confined to their homes and unable to access mental health services. We aim to achieve a 50% increase in the number of beneficiaries receiving mental health support through our program, in order to help more people in need and make a greater impact on their well-being.

We measure our progress toward our impact goals through: 

• The number of people receiving mental Health sessions

• The number of people reaching out to us to seek psychosocial support 

• Enhanced mental health status of patients

• The number of people following and interacting with our podcasts

Our overall objective is to facilitate access to mental health support for victims of torture and arbitrary arrest and their families, with a special focus on women, children, and the LGBTQI+ community. The program aims to achieve this by offering:

Activity 1: Counseling and therapy sessions online, along with 

Activity 2: Interactive podcasts on our website covering a wide range of topics related to mental health.

Our beneficiaries will be able to participate in therapy sessions online, eliminating the need for travel and making it easier for them to receive the help they need. The interactive podcasts will provide them with the tools and information they need to manage their symptoms, track their progress, and connect with others who have had similar experiences. Our podcasts will also hold Q&A sessions, which provide an opportunity for them to get answers to their specific questions and concerns.

By providing accessible and convenient mental health support, the program aims to reduce the stigma around mental health issues and raise awareness about the importance of mental health support for this population. Ultimately, the program hopes to improve the overall well-being of victims of torture and arbitrary arrest and their families by providing them with the tools and resources they need to manage their mental health.

The progress towards the impact goals of the mental health support program can be measured using several key indicators. These include the number of people receiving mental health sessions, the number of people reaching out to seek psychosocial support, the enhanced mental health status of patients, and the number of people following and interacting with the program's podcasts.

Signal application is generally considered to be a safe and secure communication platform. It is an encrypted messaging app that uses end-to-end encryption, which means that messages can only be read by the intended recipient and not by any intermediaries or third parties, including the app's developers.

Signal's encryption protocols have been extensively reviewed and audited by security experts, and the app is widely recommended by privacy advocates and security researchers. Signal also offers additional features, such as disappearing messages and the ability to verify the identity of your contacts, to further enhance privacy and security.

In addition, since not everyone has smartphones or access to the internet, we use Google Voice to reach the maximum number of patients. Google Voice is indeed a communication service offered by Google that allows users to make and receive phone calls, send and receive text messages, and voicemail messages using a single phone number. Google Voice is generally considered to be a safe service to use, as it uses encryption to protect your calls and messages in transit.

Belady's website, on which we upload our reports, research, news, and almost all of our work, will be used as a platform that provides a variety of resources and services for individuals seeking information, support, and treatment related to mental health and wellbeing.

We strive to serve diverse patients including children, women, and the LGBTQI+ community. Our diverse team which is composed of Egyptians, Americans, and Tunisians is trained to communicate effectively with our patients and understand their unique needs and backgrounds. In addition, our team includes victims of torture and arbitrary arrest who possess an extensive understanding of the different needs and challenges faced by those victims and their families.

According to the Social Business Model Canvas, our business model for the mental health support program for victims of torture and arbitrary arrest and their families could be described as follows:

-Value proposition: The mental health support program offers accessible and convenient counseling and therapy sessions online, as well as interactive podcasts covering a range of mental health-related topics, to victims of torture and arbitrary arrest and their families, with a special focus on women, children, and the LGBTQI+ community. The program aims to reduce the stigma around mental health issues and raise awareness about the importance of mental health support for this population, ultimately improving their overall well-being.

-Key activities: The program offers online counseling and therapy sessions, produces interactive podcasts, and holds Q&A sessions to provide an opportunity for beneficiaries to get answers to their specific questions and concerns.

-Key resources: The program requires mental health professionals to conduct counseling and therapy sessions, as well as digital tools and platforms for online sessions and podcast production.

-Customer segments: The program targets victims of torture and arbitrary arrest and their families, with a special focus on women, children, and the LGBTQI+ community, who may have limited access to mental health support due to their circumstances.

-Channels: The program delivers its services through secure online platforms (such as Signal application or Google Voice), in addition to Belady’s website.

-Customer relationships: The program aims to build long-term relationships with beneficiaries by providing ongoing mental health support and follow-ups.

-Revenue streams: The service could potentially generate revenue through grants and donations from foundations, governments, and individuals.

-Cost structure: The program's costs include salaries and training for mental health professionals, digital tools and platforms, website hosting and maintenance, and marketing, advocacy, and outreach efforts to reach potential beneficiaries.

As an NGO, we recognize the importance of financial sustainability to ensure the continuity and growth of our mission. We aim to diversify our funding sources by regularly applying for grants from various foundations, organizations, and governments to fund our activities.

Belady has one long-term donor which is the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). Since 2017, we have renewed our annual contract with them which mostly covers assistance for youth detainees.

In 2021 and 2022, Belady secured a project funded by Kvinna till Kvinna (KtK) that mainly covers research, documentation, and advocacy on women’s assistance. 

Moreover, in 2022, Belady secured a grant from the African Women's Development Fund (AWDF) for one year to develop its project entitled “Egyptian Prison Atlas” (EPA),  which is a user-friendly interactive website that exhibits a comprehensive open-source database on arbitrary arrests, violations and imprisonments in Egypt since 2013.

Additionally, Belady has succeeded to secure a two-month project funded by the People in Need Foundation (PINF) to legally assist ‘Sa’id’ (Upper Egypt) women and girls who are victims of their family members who joined Da’esh (ISIS). Most of them were forced into child marriage to Daesh (ISIS) fighters and became mothers. Unfortunately, they were used by Egyptian authorities as a tool to pressure the fugitive fighters to surrender themselves. They were imprisoned instead of being placed in centers for rehabilitation. 

In 2023, Belady secured a grant from the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture (UNVFVT) to fund its project entitled “Support” aiming to ease access to essential services for the victims of torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment among women, children, and sexual minorities in Egypt by: providing legal and psychosocial support to victims of torture and arbitrary arrest, as well as documenting and observing human rights violations against them.