Mandela Washington Fellowship Collaborations Continue

A group of people engaged in handicrafts — Participants engage during a vocational training.

During his Leadership Institute at Drexel University, Dr. Joel Duah Afi, the medical superintendent at the Kukuom District Hospital in Ghana, visited the College of Nursing and Health Professions.

When he overheard Veronica Carey, PhD, CPRP, speaking about mental health advocacy, an idea formed. Joel recognized the issues of inequity for women with mental health diagnoses, so when he returned to his country, he approached Adam Zahn, director of Global Engagement at Drexel and Carey, about working together and applied for a Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund (CDAF) to expand upon his experiences at Drexel.

Their CDAF project, Vocational Skills Training for Peace, sought to equip at least 100 young, unemployed women in Ghana with sustainable vocational skills training with an emphasis on women with disabilities and mental health conditions to serve as peace agents in the community while running their social businesses.

Learn more in this article from Drexel’s College of Nursing and Health Professions.