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Aviwe Funani: Empowering Youth to Shape Mental Health Policies
Aviwe is our Senior Policy Officer for Children and Youth based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The team at United for Global Mental Health are based around the globe and are diverse, passionate and knowledgeable individuals colleagues who bring a range of skills and experience to the fight to make sure mental health support is accessible to everyone, everywhere without stigma or restrictions. Find out a little bit more from some of our team about working in global mental health.
Why did you want to join UnitedGMH?
I joined UnitedGMH to advocate for mental health policy change for young people and to learn from them how to better serve their needs through policy and advocacy processes. I was also inspired by the diversity of UnitedGMH’s global partners, from various backgrounds and cultures working together to actively contribute to progress in their communities.
What have you most enjoyed since you joined?
I most enjoy interacting with youth driving change for mental health, I learn a lot from young people’s experiences and knowledge. I love that my work allows me to see the power of advocacy and collaboration in action to improve societal and institutional attitudes towards mental health.
What is the most challenging part of your role?
Understanding that policy change takes time, and requires consistency and staying optimistic that my work is making a difference even in the smallest ways. Realising many young people do not know about policy and that they are good enough to be part of improving the policies impacting their mental health.
What advice would you give others wanting to work in global mental health?
No one is too young to be an advocate driving change. The world needs your unique lens and solutions to be part of mental health change globally.