The Aga Khan University is a pioneering institution of higher education whose mission is to improve the quality of life in the developing world and beyond, through world-class teaching, research and healthcare delivery. AKU educates students for local and global leadership from campuses and teaching hospitals in six countries, primarily in Asia and Africa. It generates new knowledge to solve problems that affect millions of people, especially the most vulnerable. The University is a private, not-for-profit institution and part of the Aga Khan Development Network.

The Institute for Human Development (IHD) was launched in February 2015. The IHD’s vision is to drive innovation in research in early human development that advances the quality of individual lives and contributes to the building of successful pluralistic societies. IHD generates new knowledge through basic and applied research; applies the knowledge gained through research to inform programmes, services, and practices within community settings; and influences policy formulation and implementation in ways that reap the benefits of the systematic research produced at the institute and elsewhere. The institute also delivers educational programmes at multiple levels of study to prepare a wide range of human development specialists and professionals.

The purpose of this role is to plan, monitor and coordinate the implementation of a Mental Health Literacy Programme (MHLP) in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kilifi counties for the project titled “Supporting Civil Society Organizations to enhance the mental health of vulnerable women in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The successful candidate will work closely with local community leaders, County Government Officers, Civil Society Organizations among other partners.

The contract will run for eight (8) months.

• Take the lead in developing and/or adapting 3-5 day mental health literacy programme for use in communities;
• Organize co-design workshops with end-users/partners at the local level to adapt the MHLP;
• Organize and coordinate the training of selected CSOs and stakeholders on the administration of the MHLP at the community level;
• Pilot the MHLP before its implementation in the selected areas;
• Monitor the implementation of the MHLP in the selected areas and ensure- it is administered according to the protocol;
• Collect baseline and endline data on the MHLP to evaluate the efficacy of the intervention in the selected sites;
• Support the research team in carrying out campaigns on mental health awareness to increase the public knowledge on mental health and fight stigma; and
• Organize study meetings and related events.