- 25 Feb, 2025
- Juliana Nakiwanda
- No comment
Integrating Mental Health into MERL: A Strategic Approach
Mental health remains a vital yet often overlooked component of development programs, and MindLyfe Limited—Uganda’s leading teletherapy organization—is hosting a two-hour session to guide UEA members on integrating mental health into Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL). The session will explore why mental health matters in MERL, presenting global and Ugandan data to highlight its social and economic impact, and demonstrating how MERL can help identify gaps and improve interventions. Participants will gain hands-on exposure to tools and methodologies such as GHQ-12, PHQ-9, WHOQOL, and resilience scores, with data collection techniques ranging from surveys and qualitative methods to AI-powered analytics. Case studies from MindLyfe’s work in schools, prisons, and workplaces will illustrate practical applications, while discussions will address challenges like stigma and funding, and explore opportunities for collaboration, policy advocacy, and integration of mental health into MERL frameworks.
Click here to download the presentation.
BIO OF THE PRESENTER
KAWEKWA DOUGLAS is a structural engineer and founder of MindLyfe Limited, a teletherapy organization committed to improving Mental Health access and reducing stigma in Uganda. With expertise in both engineering and counseling psychology, KAWEKWA DOUGLAS applies a data-driven approach to Mental Health interventions, ensuring measurable impact in schools, workplaces, correctional facilities, and communities. KAWEKWA DOUGLAS integrates Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL) into Mental Health programs. Through MindLyfe Limited, they have led Mental Health assessments, psychoeducation programs, and corporate & community wellness initiatives, collaborating with organizations such as Makerere University, Uganda Prisons Service, Case Hospital, Asifiwe International Academy, Uzazi Hub Limited, Rotary Club of Kiwatule, Rotaract KTC among others. KAWEKWA DOUGLAS advocates for Mental Health inclusion in evaluation frameworks, equipping MERL professionals with tools to assess and enhance
mental well-being in development programs.
