Open funding:
Open funding:

An open pilot trial of an integrated trauma healing and financial literacy program for climate-vulnerable young mothers in Nairobi's informal settlements

This project tests an integrated program that pairs trauma healing with financial literacy for young mothers living in Nairobi's informal settlements, where climate stress, gender-based violence and economic precarity intersect. Working in partnership with Elim Trust, the team uses a participatory action research approach to co-design and adapt a healing circles model, finalize referral pathways for gender-based violence and mental health services, and evaluate changes in mental health, agency, and economic resilience over time. The collaboration spans social work, psychology, and environment and sustainability, and centers community leadership at every phase. Findings will establish preliminary effect sizes and a refined program manual to inform a larger trial and future scale-up.

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Start Date

July 1, 2026

End Date

July 31, 2027

Location

Kenya

Project Investigators

Katie Edwards, PhD

Professor

School of Social Work
Sara McClelland, PhD

Associate Professor

Literature, Science, and the Arts
Women's and Gender Studies
Nina Brooks, PhD

Assistant Professor

School for Environment and Sustainability
Jennie Jester, PhD

Associate Research Scientist

School of Social Work
Julia Kagunda, PhD, MA, BA

Director and Founder, Elim Trust, Nairobi, Kenya

Purity Mwenda, MA, BA

Clinical Psychologist, Elim Trust, Kiambu, Kenya

Collaborating Organizations

Elim Trust
Kenya

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