At just 16 years old, Fatima from Mogovolas district was overwhelmed by feelings of depression after the birth of her first child. She struggled to cope with the demands of motherhood, feeling isolated and hopeless. “I didn’t understand what was happening to me. I felt empty inside, and I didn’t know how to be a good mother,” Fatima shared with tears in her eyes.

For many adolescent mothers, the journey through early motherhood is fraught with uncertainty and emotional distress. That was the case for 17-year-old Sara from Gaza province, who struggled with stress and anxiety after the birth of her child. She confided, “I felt overwhelmed and lost. I didn’t know how to cope with the responsibilities of being a young mother.”

The “Strengthening the Mental Health and Responsiveness of Caregivers to Young Children” project is having a profound impact on local organizations and workers. Through extensive capacity-building efforts, local community-based organizations (CBOs), social workers, and health professionals are better equipped to address the mental health needs of adolescent and young mothers.