This campaign aims to raise $25,000 to produce an educational film that blends two worlds: Haitian Vodou practices and evidence-based therapy. If our goal is met, we will be able to equip 10 Vodou temples with the tools needed to promote a culture of blended mental health therapy within the community. By harnessing the power of storytelling, the educational film will improve engagement and extend the reach and accessibility of mental health information and care in Haiti.
Specifically, the objectives of this educational film are to:
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Raise public awareness of mental health issues by creating an engaging storyline based on the Vodou and Haitian reality.
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Improve access to
mental health information by sharing the educational film with ten Vodou temples in Haiti.
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Build knowledge and skills in mental health
care within Vodou communities through continued learning, mentorship and
support.
How will the film improve mental health care?
After the tragic earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010, hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives and experienced extreme poverty, weakened governance structures, high levels of violence, and alarming environmental degradation. Most troubling, Haitians across the country felt the effects of major trauma and grief in the context of a severely unstable and underdeveloped mental health system.
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Individuals in Haiti, regardless of religious affiliation, commonly integrate Vodou culture into their daily life. In contrast to the handful of formal mental health practitioners, there are an estimated 60,000 Vodou priests in Haiti. These priests are often the first point of care for support in times of need, presenting a fortuitous opportunity to improve access to mental health care.
With support from Grand Challenges Canada, and funding from the Government of Canada, CAMH's Office of Transformative Global Health has partnered with spiritual leaders toward this goal over the last two years. You can read more about the project background and progress here (ou en français).
As the project comes to a close, we hope to produce an educational film to promote and sustain continued learning on mental health within the Vodou community. The film will offer a narrative-based demonstration on how to integrate evidence-based therapy, from assessment to treatment, in the daily practice of Vodou leaders. The end product will be:
- Culturally relevant.
- Engaging.
- Accessible by diverse learning styles.
- Easily and widely shared.
- Sustainable over time.
Through this approach, we can better share new techniques and skills that build on the efficacious support systems that already exist in the Vodou community; thereby improving access to mental health care.
How will the film be produced?
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Who will produce the film?
Haiti's only film school, the Ciné Institute, has the artistic and technical expertise required to execute this film project with high professional quality. The Ciné Institute is dedicated to developing Haiti’s film industry by bringing together leaders in cinema and education to train and support qualified storytellers and technicians needed to facilitate production in the nation.
Committed to training Haitians to tell their own stories, it was imagined as both jobs training and nation building. The company has helped train dozens of young Haitian filmmakers and produced high quality work for many national and international clients. Clients have included: Black Entertainment Television (BET), Clinton Foundation, Donna Karan, Google, Inter American Foundation (IAF), J/P HRO, the BBC, CARE, UNDP, BRANA, and the International Rescue Committee (IRC).
Take a look at this short demo reel below or click here to watch a video about how the Cine Institute is changing lives through film.
What type of therapy will be used?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is an easy to learn, research-supported treatment that focuses on changing patterns of thinking (called cognitions) and changing the actions (called behaviours) that contribute to emotional distress.
For example, a person who is depressed may have negative thoughts and may avoid their friends and family, making them feel sad and lonely. It becomes a vicious cycle that keeps them feeling bad. CBT can help this person to challenge that belief and change their behaviour to make them feel better. More positive thoughts and changing behaviour in a positive way will lead to more positive feelings. For more information, click here.
We need your help to reach our $25,000 goal to continue to improve access to mental health care in Haiti. Your contribution to this campaign will support a marginalized community group as well as provide opportunities for aspiring local filmmakers.
If you are unable to contribute financially, it would be a huge help if you would spread the word about the Best of Both Worlds campaign!
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Like us on Facebook
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Follow us on Twitter
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Visit Windup Restaurant during the month of July and let them know that you would like to support the campaign. They will donate 15% of your bill!!
Special campaign events
Support this campaign by attending one of our exciting events this month! You can purchase your tickets through the perks listed on the right of this page. Please note: pay what you can (PWYC) tickets for Haiti and Vodou in World History to be reserved through Eventbrite.
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Where do the funds go?
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