In previous blogs, we’ve spoken about how the Responsible Data for Children initiative has been speaking to officials with UNICEF and UNHCR Uganda, the Government of Uganda, medical professionals, and various national level stakeholders to identify opportunities and challenges with data systems that could be acted upon to improve child refugee mental health and provide psychosocial services. You can find highlights of these conversations on the RD4C site.

Today, the RD4C team supported by UNICEF and UNHCR Uganda explored how different data systems are used by organizations throughout the country to respond to refugee needs. In Isingiro, the team hosted a studio workshop with implementing organizations, regional leaders, and representatives of government. The discussion revealed critical issues, which we will highlight in a blog tomorrow, about the ways in which data can support the mental health and psychosocial well-being of refugee children. As one participant noted, “Data is key because you cannot support what you don’t know.”

After the studio, the team then traveled to Nakivale, a refugee settlement in the southwest near the Democratic Republic of Congo border. In focus group settings, we then spoke with mental health and psychosocial service village health teams, child protection committee members, and adolescent refugees themselves. These conversations allowed the team to understand how child refugee mental health is understood by those directly responsible for identifying and responding to cases as well as those affected by data systems. 

Tomorrow, we will provide reflections on our first two studios in anticipation for our final ideation studio on Friday. We hope you will stay tuned for these insights or contact us at [email protected] for more information.

* Cover image by Roman Nguyen/Unsplash is licensed under CC0.

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