Listen to the podcast interview about about TEWWY at https://www.wisdomatworkpodcast.com/introducing-tap-elderly-womens-wisdom-for-youth/
For more information about TEWWY, please visit their website at: https://www.mhinnovation.net/organisations/tap-elderly-womens-wisdom-youth-
tewwy
Elder Wisdom Leading Community Healing is a deeply rooted community mental health
project shaped by the lived experiences and frontlines insights of TEWWY’s seven
elderly Wisdom & Wellness Counselors. These retired women, now trained ‘non-
specialist’ providers of psychosocial support, serve as trusted mental health advocated
in underserved Tanzanian communities.
This initiative responds directly to their call for enhanced tools to address the growing
presence of substance use disorders, which frequently accompany depression in the
individuals they serve. The project is both timely and deeply personal, taking on added
emotional significance in the wake of losing one of our cherished counselors. It is not
only an investment in the skills of our current team, but also a tribute to her enduring
legacy of compassion and service.
This grant will support a four-week intensive training programme that is co-designed
with the counselors themselves. Their practical experience and wisdom have informed
every aspect of the curriculum, which included advanced interpersonal counseling
techniques, group talk therapy facilitation, and delivery of psychoeducation.
Recognizing the increased need to screen for anxiety and substance use issues, the
training will incorporate the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale and the Alcohol Use
Disorders Identification Test, tools selected because they directly align with the real
challenges being encountered. Professional trainers with expertise in adult learning and
mental health will lead the sessions, ensuring that concepts are not only accessible but
also culturally relevant, bridging scientific understanding with local idioms, traditions and
community beliefs.
Beyond technical training, a central component of this initiative is the creation of
culturally grounded psychoeducational materials. These resources will be co-developed
by counselors and TEWWY staff through a collaborative process that values the
counselors’ deep understanding of their communities.
The initial development will take place during the training period, but this work will
continue beyond the four weeks as part of TEWWY’S ongoing commitment to co-
creation. Through iterative feedback and testing in community settings, the materials will
be refined to ensure they reflect the language, values and lived realities of those they
are meant to serve. This process reaffirms the counselors’ roles not just as service
providers but as knowledge bearers whose lived experience enhances the effectiveness
of mental health interventions.
The grant will also cover critical logistical support including daily transportation stipends,
leans and communication costs to ensure that these elderly women can participate fully
without economic burden. This practical support acknowledges the value of their time
and their contributions to community well-being.
While TEWWY’s ongoing services are sustained through regular donations, this training
represents a vital upgrade to the tools and techniques our counselors use every day. In
a country where there are only 2.31 mental health workers per 100,000 people,
investing in community-based solutions like this is not only strategic but essential.
Ultimately, this project strengthens TEWWY’s strategy of positioning elderly women as
community leaders and catalysts for change. It is a living example of intergenerational
collaboration, where the wisdom of older women is paired with evidence-based mental
health strategies to meet the evolving needs of vulnerable populations. By supporting
this initiative, the grant enables a more responsive, inclusive and resilient mental health
care model – one that is rooted in community, sustained by compassion and
strengthened by belief that healing must begin with those who know their people best.