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Our work

Treatment, dignity and hope — on the ground in Galdogob

At the Galdogob Mental Health Centre (GMHC) and across the community, Rajo delivers residential care, rehabilitation and outreach — while challenging the stigma that leaves so many without help.

The need in numbers

A crisis — and a response

1 in 3
Somalis affected by mental illness1
3
psychiatrists in public facilities, nationwide2
5%
of people with mental illness reach professional care2
75
places for care & recovery at GMHC — Rajo's response
Full sources in the references below.
Treatment & rehabilitation

Residential care at GMHC

The centre provides residential care and rehabilitation for up to 75 individuals living with mental health conditions, supported by a dedicated team of 20 healthcare professionals and support staff.

In a structured, supportive environment, residents and staff live, work, dine and take part in social activities together. Programmes are tailored to each person — counselling, medication management, skills training and family tracing — with the goal of recovery, reconnection with family, and reintegration into the community.

Clinical care at the Galdogob Mental Health Centre
Community

Mental health outreach

Launched in May 2025, our outreach programme engages traditional leaders, women's groups and youth organisations — raising awareness, teaching practical coping skills, and guiding people toward professional support.

A multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, psychologists and psychiatric nurses provides free assessments, brief counselling and referrals. In its first phase the programme reached 58 people with care close to home, at no cost — reducing the barriers that keep people from treatment.

Community mental health outreach session
Awareness

UK Somali awareness project

For the past four years, our UK programme has delivered mental health awareness across the Somali community — through conferences, radio and TV broadcasts, community meetings and educational sessions.

By listening to the community and speaking openly about mental health, we challenge stigma, encourage timely access to services, and promote emotional wellbeing on both sides — in the UK and in Somalia.

The grounds of the Galdogob Mental Health Centre

What your support funds

Our most urgent needs

As a small charity, every contribution has a meaningful, visible impact on the people we serve.

01

Medication & staff training

Reliable psychiatric medication and regular training so staff can deliver safe, effective care and rehabilitation.

02

Women's wing extension

Extending the centre's women's wing so more women can be cared for safely, privately and with dignity.

03

Clean water tank

A water tank to give the centre a reliable, safe water supply for residents and staff every day.

Fund a need →

Stories from Galdogob

Recovery, dignity, hope

A man found chained and neglected before receiving care

Abdi was found chained and disoriented, living under a tree near the Ethiopian border.

“Abdi's story is one of many — people abandoned or chained because of stigma, misinformation, and no access to care.”

During an outreach programme near the Ethiopian border, the GMHC team met Abdi in extremely difficult circumstances. With his relatives' consent, he was brought to the centre for treatment, rehabilitation and ongoing care.

Today his life has changed remarkably. His mental health has improved significantly, he takes part in daily activities, and he now volunteers at the centre. We hope Abdi will soon return home and reintegrate into his community.

Human Rights Watch has documented the shackling of people with psychosocial disabilities in Somalia and across the region — a reality Rajo exists to end.3

✦

World Mental Health Day

GMHC marked World Mental Health Day 2026 with residents and the wider community under the theme “Mental Health is a Human Right,” alongside the Puntland and Federal Government mental health departments.

✎

Staff training

Regular training — most recently “Understanding Common Mental Health Problems and Skills for Rehabilitation” — strengthens the team's knowledge and welcomes newly recruited staff, funded by Rajo MHES.

☾

The Rajo Centre

A dedicated space within the unit for prayer, spiritual guidance, patient education and faith-based emotional support — promoting holistic recovery and wellbeing.

In the media

Galdogob on screen

Coverage of the Galdogob Mental Health Centre and the community it serves.

Gacal Media

The hospital from above

Radio Galdogob

Galdogob & the centre

Jaleelo Media

In conversation: a patient interview

Rajo MHES

Building the hospital

At the centre

Opening the prayer room

At the centre

The allotments

References

  1. World Health Organization. A Situation Analysis of Mental Health in Somalia. WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, 2010. Read the report (PDF).
  2. “Mental health crisis in Somalia: a review and a way forward.” International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 2022. Read the review.
  3. Human Rights Watch. Living in Chains: Shackling of People with Psychosocial Disabilities Worldwide, 2020. Read the report.