My First Visitor

My first visitor to the new office was Zan Darusman. She came to the office this afternoon with her husband and Prof Minas. I knew Zan from Farida Flemming. Zan used to work with universities in Australia, particularly dealing with issues related with foreign students. Zan helped me in analyzing data from baseline survey, for my program in Pidie.

Prof Minas is a psychiatrist, Head of the International Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Australia. He is in Pidie to help Zan' husband to develop a Community Based Mental Health Program. One of the issues with mental health is to identify them at the beginning/early stage and what better way to start from primary school level. Zan informed him about the worked I have done and issues on trauma with the teachers. They are interested in having dscussion to discuss the potential to involve the teachers in community based mental health in early detection in children.

I always interested in community based program. Particularly for Pidie, where the children affected by Tsunami and or conflict, the Community Based Mental Health is very crucial. The good thing of community based program is that it will empower people who are interact with children in daily activities. It will not only build the capacity of teachers who are interact with them everyday, but also with parents and community. This is very important because children mental health condition is colored by the family life or the neighborhood. The community based program will enable parents and community members to recognize and identify children mental health condition, and to know what to do or wher to go if they need help.

I understand that this program will involve at least two key stakeholders, they are Dinas Kesehatan (Health Office) and Dinas Pendidikan (Education Office)at district level. I am pretty sure that the two stakeholders will support this program and willing to cooperate.

This program is related with my program, the revitalisation of the school cluster system. In the cluster program, despite of teachers and supervisors, we also build capacity of parents and community so they can provide their best contribution to support children education and health. We have a dream that schools in Pidie can become a center of community education and health. We try to develop school as a healthy and enjoying environment for children. Although our journey is still long, at least we are doing something to reach that dream.

I really hope that the program can be developed and implemented promptly in Pidie. Pidie people are eager to make positive change, and they are committed to support and implement any program as long as they understand that it is relevant with their needs.

Good luck Prof Minas, hope we can work together to improve the children mental health in Pidie !