PROJECT MANAGER GRT

Name of Organization:  G.R.T. - Gruppo per le Relazioni Transculturali
Position:     Project Manager
Sector:      Mental Health
Location:     Somaliland - Hargeisa
Closing date:    15
th
 November 2012
Duration:    12 months (3-months probation period)
Contract Starting Date:  As soon as possible
Aims of the Organization
Since its foundation in 1968, GRT has been working with socially marginalized groups and individuals, being
expression of cultural values outside dominant paradigms.
GRT' story is a journey through culture, enriched over the years (mainly in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Somalia,
Nepal and Romania) through cooperation programs where local communities are supported in inventing
and developing their own surviving strategies.
Walking along paths of desires together with local  communities, efforts are made in trying to help them
remaining protagonist of their history, without imposing western models, rather supporting the search for
appropriate ways of belonging, claiming and acknowledgements.
The main fields of expertise and involvement are: Community Mental Health, Support for Ethnic Minorities,
Traditional Medicine, Street Children and Migrations.
Organization Background in the Somali context
The strength of persons with mental disabilities and their disconcerting vulnerability motivated the
organization to implement mental health related projects in Latin America and Horn of Africa, particularly
Somalia. Community’s therapeutic capacities represent the basis of GRT actions and interventions.
In Somalia GRT’s intervention began in 1996, through an innovative support to the humanisation process of
Berbera Mental Hospital in Somaliland. Since May 2003, GRT experience has considerably grown providing
Mental health services through the establishment of the first Mental Health Department in Puntland and
integrated community services in Bosaso town and IDP camps.
Since 2008, psychosocial support activities have been extended with specific programmes to refugees and
IDPs, mainly in Puntland -NE Somalia.
Since 2011, GRT is implementing an EC funded Mental Health Project in Somaliland (Hargeisa) and Puntland
(Bosaso) aiming at “Improving capacity and advocacy skills of NSAs and public sector authorities in Somalia
in the area of Human Resource issues related to Mental Health”.
Project Background
Objective of the action is to enhance the role of the civil society in developing an inclusive and empowered
society in Somalia.
The action aims at combating the crisis in the ‘Mental Health Service Delivery’ affecting Somalia by
promoting a coordinated response to boost long term assistance in the development of Somali NSA’s and
CSO’s capacities in the area of Mental Health. The action focuses on MH as one of the key elements for the
population health wellbeing with the general aim of improving Human and Social Development within
Somalia
Job Summary
The project manager is required to have sound experience on mental health and on the implementation of
humanitarian projects, especially in low income and war-torn countries.