2021-12-31-accounts

Charity Commission Annual Report - 2021

Our Motto: “Brighten the corner you’re in!”

UK Charity - Registration Number 1191702

1. Background

NIDSG was established to help victims of the conflict from insurgency by Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa (ISWAP) and other bandit groups in Northern Nigeria and Lake Chad Region, which has been going on since 2009, which has resulted in widespread displacement and a deep humanitarian crisis. UNHCR estimates that nearly 2.9 million people have been displaced (IDPs), 50% of whom are children 30,000 people have been killed (more civilians than in Iraq and Syria combined). Thousands of women and girls have been abducted and children drafted as "suicide" bombers or into the insurgency. It is estimated that up to half of IDPs are suffering from mental health issues. A research report prepared in collaboration between the Duke University Global Health Institute, George Washington University and Catholic Relief Services titled: “ Identifying Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Needs Among Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria ,” detailed the severe mental health and psychosocial consequences of insurgency in Northern Nigeria, and recommended focusing on “low-skill mental health and psycho-social support (MHPSS) interventions that can be delivered by lay community members.” This was the main area of focus for NIDSG in 2021

2. Summary of NIDSG’s Lay Trauma Counsellor Training in 2021

The main charitable activity performed by NIDSG is 2021 was arranging and delivering the 3[rd] Lay mental trauma counsellor training course, which took place from 2th-28[th] October 2021. There were a number of “firsts” in 2021:

• The course was hosted for the first time at Lux Terra Foundation in Abuja Nigeria premises.

• Instructors delivered training in person and via Zoom o both courses and in-person for the first time

• Also, NIDSG successfully delivered a piloted our first Child Art Therapy Trauma Counsellor Training and “Train the Trainer Day.”

NIDSG’s team of Psychiatrists and Psychotherapists delivered an intensive training programme for 3 cohorts of Lay Mental Trauma Counsellors:

• I. Adult Mental Health Psycho-Social Support (MHPSS) Trauma Counsellors – Train local people from IDP Communities, Community support groups, local NGOs and government health workers supporting IDP populations, with a particular focus on helping women and girls who have suffered sexual and gender-based violence

• II. Child Therapeutic Art Trauma Counsellors - Train teachers and health workers to help children, many of whom have been orphaned, who are unable to participate in education because the trauma they suffered. They often find it difficult to express their trauma in words and act out as a result. “Art Therapy” uses art as its primary mode of expression, communication and psychotherapy techniques to address trauma issues.

• III. Train the Trainer . NIDSG invited experienced local doctors, nurses and psychologists from organisations to observe and learn in order to scale up trauma counsellor training in Nigeria

Following the initial 4-day training, to help trained Counsellors do their work, NIDSG set-up geographically based peer support networks and provided remote mentoring via a WhatsApp group to maintain a contact with instructors and continue to support the newly created network of frontline mental trauma counselling professionals for 1 year.

3. Mission Team

The delivery team were present in Nigeria, but also worked remotely from the UK and USA:

Adult Mental Health and Psycho-social trauma Trauma Counselling Instructors

• Dr Wale Lagundoye (Training Programme Director)

• Dr Femi Adebajo

• Dr Chris Piwuna

• Dr (Mrs) Zainab Imam (remote)

• Dr Geoffrey Ijomah (remote)

Child Art Therapy Trauma Counsellor Training Instructors

• Lorette Dye

• Tally Tripp

Programme Co-Ordination and Admin

• Kevin Obi

• Mrs Hafsat Dagazau (also a delegate)

• Mrs Tutu Asielue (remote)

4. Delegates Attending NIDSG’s Lay Trauma Counsellor Training in 2021

Delegate Numbers. A total of 44 Delegates attended this year’s training programme, 14 delegates participated in the Child Art Therapy Trauma Counsellor Training, whilst 30 delegates Adult Mental Health and Psycho-Social Trauma Counsellor Training.

Geographical Spread of Delegates was wider that in previous training programmes. Delegates attended from Borno, Kaduna, Plateau, Kebbi, Kano, Niger, Zamfara, and Nasarawa States and from the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. This perhaps is reflected the increasing insecurity and breakdown in Civil society, and how trauma is now becoming more widespread across the middle belt and in Northern Nigeria.

Representation came from IDP Camps, Faith Groups, State government health authorities, local hospitals and local NGOs:

• State and Federal Governments - Kaduna State, Niger State, representatives from the Federal Ministry of Health were also invited, but did not turn up

• Local NGOs – Reconnect Health Development Initiative, Stefanos Foundation, Institute of disaster, Foundation for Refugee Economic Empowerment

• Faith Groups – Christian Association of Nigeria, Jama ‘atu Naril Islam

• IDP Camps – Dakwa IDP Camp, Kuchingoro IDP Camp

• Hospitals – Panda Hospital

Skill of Delegates ranged from lay counsellors/volunteers, to Doctors, Nurses, psychologists, Teachers, NGO staff and health workers who are active in NGO communities. Strict selection criteria was set for delegates attending the Child Art Therapy Trauma Counsellor Training was that they must be actively working with children sufferring Trauma, in places such as educational institutions.

5. Programme Feedback and Outcomes

The format used was interactive workshops, utilising interactive tutorials, group work, practical exercises and role play. It aimed to provide a practical and culturally appropriate training to build on the existing capabilities and skills of the participants. The programme was successful in building mental health capacity, by training local lay counsellors to recognise, work with and provide basic psychological interventions to internally displaced persons suffering from psychological trauma from their experiences from conflict and from being displaced from their homes.

The feedback from delegates following the course indicated that the programme was a successful and worthwhile endeavour. In particular, they appreciated the practical nature of the programme and felt that the skills they gained would very much help them make a positive impact on those in need. The participants engaged actively with each other and the mission team, throughout the four days of the course. A significant number of the delegates had experienced severe mental trauma associated with the conflict. Their account of this experience provided some real life context for the mission team and other delegates.

What worked well

• The hybrid in-person/remote delivery worked surprisingly well, given the high potential for broadband challenges in Nigeria. This was helped by Lux Terra Foundation’s excellent audiovisual facilities.

• Efforts by of the instructors, supported by others to produce comprehensive course booklets with all the training material, which allowed delegates to take notes and create a detailed reference document

• Instructor delivery, huge delegate engagement, life-changing testimonies case studies and role play. The questions and answers sessions were extremely well received iant.

• Forming communities and Counsellor peer groups, based on location was an addition that we should keep.

• Fiona Lovatt’s (guest speaker) case study presentation was also very well received and highly appreciated. The gratitude was palpable.

• Logistics and Admin:

• Venue, Audio visual equipment, catering,

• COVID19 Testing & Compliance

• Delegate Hostel – can accommodate more in 17 rooms

• Transport & Security arrangements

• Buying, Toiletries and cleaning stuff for Lux Terra

• Delegate screening and selection

• Instructor Team bonding e.g. dinner on Day 3

6. Recommendations for Improvement

I. Art Therapy Training

• Align timing of Art Therapy and Adult MHPSS class schedules.

• Improve networking between the delegates from both training cohorts. Not enough “cross pollination” - Art Therapy people were not involved in forming peer groups based on location. Synchronizing break times could help improve this.

• • Delegate Feedback:

• The delegates would like a module on facilitation skills, to be added to the course, enable them run sessions better

• They also asked that we schedule short follow up sessions to help them address any shortcomings they discover through practice

II. Adult MHPSS Training

• The late delivery of the course pack meant that it was mainly based on the ARC slides and there was not a great deal of time to review and revise or to incorporate other important material. There is also a need to revise the curriculum, to remove excess repetition/duplication and add a few more clinical topics. For example, syndromes like depression, anxiety, PTSD, sleep disturbances. It would also be useful to incorporate more ideas from some previous training programs.

• Use the time gained from removing duplication to add important course modules:

  • Gender based violence - The course content will need to include a more substantive module on this area, like has been done in the past.

  • A specific module to teach Counsellors Basic CBT Techniques? I

  • “Trauma Healing workshop” – delivered by Lux Terra

  • We spent time answering specific enquiries from delegates. Some of these should ideally be incorporated in the course material

• Add more local relevance.

  • Some examples shared are somewhat difficult for someone in an IDP Camp to identify with.

  • Dr Piwuna’s case studies were brilliant and most relevant, but the delegates were a little bit uncertain on how to respond in these scenarios, which they will face.

  • Piwuna should participate for longer, with more relevant case studies and role play scenarios

• Delegate Feedback

• The experiential learning seemed to be what the delegates found most useful. They would like more 1-2-1 practice on the course, using very relevant case studies

• Time was an issue. They felt we did not keep to time (or wasted time) and that the time available meant learning was a bit rushed, and we needed more time to go deeper. A couple felt the days were too long

III. Train the trainer Day

• This was a smaller class size and 1 day training, with delegates who had mostly medical backgrounds. Our initial approach was to use this as a unique face-to-face opportunity to rapidly scale up the mental trauma counselling capacity building. There was no delegate feedback on this course, but people attending this session will not walk away ready to train others and will require follow-up sessions.

• More work is required on how best to train local trainers.

Logistics & Admin

• Improve printing; certificates, packs (the printer got them all wrong)

• Improve delegate selection; finding and screening delegates was extremely difficult, uninvited people turned up, some delegates (Federal Ministry of Health) did not turn up

• Improve liaison with the delegate guest House (they got dates wrong)

• Improve liaison with Valencia Hotel – did not have correct details on arrival

• There were frantic late arrangements to find a bus to take delegates to and from the training venue and guest house. Have this in place much earlier. Also address other issues, such as the size of the bus, money for fuel and departure times

• Catering – numbers on Day 1 were wrong, but this quickly got rectified. However, drinks/snacks were not always available for the art therapy class. Delegates requested that we improve the variety of food on offer

• Validate delegate details at arrival and registration on Day 1 would be helpful

• Tea/Coffee sorely missed. The instructors requested stimulants! (instructors)

• Improve the joining instructions, including the location of Lux Terra and the guest house. Providing course objectives, timing & agenda in advance

Kevin Obi Chair, NIDSG

NIDSG Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2021 (Unaudited) UK Charity - Registration Number 1191702

Income Overseas Income Private donations SCIB Sponsorship Aurelia Mines Sponsorship UK Income Private donations Donations of Flights Total Income Expenditure Overseas Expenditure Delegate costs Course delivery Printing Instructor costs Logistics & Admin costs COVID19 Testing UK Expenditure Training material Flights for instructors COVID19 Testing Kits Total Expenditure 2021 Operating Surplus

Amount (GBP) Notes 1092.5 N475,000 @ 0.0023 Naira to £1 4600 N2,000,000 @ 0.0023 Naira to £1 2300 N1,000000 @ 0.0023 Naira to £1 5294 Paid via Gofundme and direct to NIDSG Account 2031.24 Paid for by Volunteers 15317.74 2869.02 Accommodation, subsistence for trainee Trauma Counsellors 1010.78 Catering, refreshments, stationery, supplies, etc 757.85 Course material, publicity, etc 2030.44 Accommodation, subsistence, transport, etc 834.64 Transport, security, misc etc 209.3 local testing, masks, etc 418.5 Course material such as paints, etc 3390.81 Includes flights paid for by NIDSG and by volunteers or donors 840 Daily Lateral Flow Testing for all delegates and instructors 12361.34 Combined expenditure in UK and Nigeria 2675.539