About Us

WAYAS is a registered organisation both in The Gambia and in the United Kingdom. We aim to:

WAYAS C & T is a counselling, mental health, and training service provider in The Gambia and the United Kingdom. We are the leading and largest private service provider of Mental Health services in The Gambia. We work with Government institutions, NGOs, individuals, and families to make sure people experiencing mental health difficulties get the support they need.

Our Values

The ethical framework around which we operate our organisation includes:

01.

Respect

Our respect for our clients, staff, and partner organisations

02.

Justice

We belief in the fair and impartial treatment of all clients and the provision of adequate/appropriate services.

03.

Excellence

We maintain the highest levels of practice, believing people work best in a culture of mutual support with professional oversight

04.

Autonomy

Respect for the client’s right to be self-governing.

05.

Partnership

working with partners and other agencies to develop a network of services to meet the range of needs throughout The Gambia

Our vision

Our vision is to provide accessible, quality community mental health services.

Meet our Team

01.

Mr Alhagie Camara (MBACP)

Counsellor, Mental Health Practitioner and High-Intensity CBT Therapist

Alhagie qualified as a Counsellor and Psychotherapist in 2015. He is a member of the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapist (BACP). Alhagie has worked with a variety of counselling organisations in England supporting young people and adults. Alhagie has extensive knowledge and experience in various areas including Drugs Alcohol, Gambling, Anxiety, Depression, Post Traumatic Disorder (PTSD), Abuse, Loss/Bereavement, Stress, Panic Disorders, Phobias, Disabilities, Low Self-esteem, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Trauma, Suicidal thoughts, and Relationship Issues. Alhagie has worked in diverse locations such as in Educational settings, in the community and at GP Surgeries offering accessible services and choices to young people and adults. The therapies Alhagie offers range from Person-centred Counselling & Psychotherapy, Humanistic & Integrative Counselling, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Solution – Focused Therapy, Mindfulness, to CATT (Children’s Accelerated Trauma Therapy). Alhagie has also worked as an independent advocate to empower and enable children and young people to have a voice by providing information, advice, support and advocacy in line with The Advocacy Charter.

Awards

Nolimits, 2017/18 staff award of the year for outstanding performance.
Service to the Community Award – Awarded by West Itchen Community TrustOctober 2015.
Certification of appreciation for outstanding performance and leadership (2010 to 2017). Gambia Kaffo Community Interest Company (CIC), England.
June 2023 – Certificate awarded in recognition of my extraordinary contribution to TUVAA, mental health awareness and treatment in The Gambia and the UK by The Lord Mayor of The City of Southampton and Dr Abdoulie Sanneh, The Chair of The United Voice of African Associations (TUVAA).
May 2023 – Certificate of appreciation in recognition of my outstanding contributions towards Mental Health Care both in The Gambia and the United Kingdom. Awarded by H. E. Mr Muhammed BS Jallow Vice President of The Gambia, and H. E. Dr Fatou Bensouda, The Gambia High Commissioner London.
October 2021 – Making a Difference Community Service Award
May 2018 – Nolimts Staff Award of the Year for outstanding performance.
August 2017 – Certification of appreciation for outstanding performance and leadership Awarded by Gambia Kaffo Community Interest Company (CIC), England.
October 2015 – Service to the Community Award
November 2012 – Directors Award, University of Southampton, for demonstrating the behaviour and culture of Student Services.

04.

Grace Roach

Counsellor

Grace is a qualified Humanistic and Integrative counsellor with over 15 years of experience and a member of the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapist (BACP). Grace love creative writing, poetry, and short stories. Over the past 15 years, Grace has worked with both able bodied and disabled individuals, adapting the Person-Centred Art Therapy Skills (PCATS) workshops to suit various types of client groups.

06.

Fatou Sarjo

WAYAS (Gambia) Service Manager

Fatou Sarjo is a qualified teacher majoring in Social, Environmental Studies, and Home Science. She has more than 15 years of teaching experience. In 2022, Fatou enrolled at the Management Development Institute to pursue an Advanced Diploma in School Management and a Postgraduate in Public Administration alongside a bachelor’s degree in education at International Open University.

After completing grade 12, Fatou worked for 2 years at the Y.M.C. A’s adolescent reproductive health unit to sensitise and create awareness of sexually transmitted diseases. Given her years of experience and passion for teaching, Fatou held several positions within the school setting, including working with people children with learning disabilities.

07.

Chioma Okeye-Obiugo

Counsellor

02.

Diane Hardiman,

MA PGCE MBACP Counsellor & Clinical Supervisor

Qualifications

Diploma in Integrative Counselling from CSCT – Harefield Hospital
City & Guilds 7307 Teaching Adults
Master of Arts Degree in Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling with Existentialism at Regent’s College, London
Post Graduate Certificate in Education from the University of Portsmouth
Diploma in Supervision via CASCADE
Assessor Certificate for Pets As Therapy
Certificate in Tarot Therapy

Experience

Diane has been a qualified counsellor for almost 25 years, a qualified trainer for over 18 years and a qualified Supervisor for over 10 years. In this time, she has worked with a vast array of clients, students, and supervisees from a diverse range of socioeconomic backgrounds and with a multiplicity of physical and emotional problems.
Diane has written taught and led many counselling courses at many different institutions. These range from Level 2 Certificate to Level 7 Master’s degree and from Local Further Education Colleges to Russell Group Universities.
Diane runs an eclectic assortment of workshops such as Dream Analysis, Effective Supervision, Animal Assisted Therapy and the use of Complementary Therapies. She is currently working in partnership with WAYAS on courses and workshops for 2021 due to be rolled out Sept 2021.

03.

Isatou Touray

Mental Health Nurse

Isatou is a passionate Registered Mental Health Nurse with an incoming MSc in Global Health and a proven track record of helping individuals become the best versions of themselves. She is competent in assessing the needs of patients and developing personal meal plans to promote health best. Isatou has an excellent understanding of global health issues, policy and practices. She has worked in various healthcare settings, such as hospitals, communities and charities.

Isatou has extensive experience working in Accident and Emergency Departments (A & E), conducting mental state assessments and creating care plans for patients with criminal convictions, learning difficulties and mental health disorders. She also worked with patients who did not have the mental capacity to make the best choices regarding their care, and with other healthcare professionals, such as social workers and psychologists, to ensure these patients were not neglected.

05.

Pippa Barlow

Mental Health Practitioner

Pippa is a registered Social Worker and qualified Play Therapist. She spent her career working in the UK public sector, firstly in the rehabilitation of offenders and then assisting families involved with the Family Court. Pippa then worked in a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) team providing mental health services for children and young people. She is passionate about empowering children and families to fulfil their potential and make a positive contribution to society.

Pippa also works for a UK-based charity called Luna Children’s Charity (now known as Action for Child Trauma International). In Uganda, she provided training to community workers in therapeutic play, attachment issues and developmental trauma. Delivered workshops to parents and teachers living and working in a very poor area of Kampala, on child development, attachment parenting, brain development, risk and resilience factors and children’s mental health. She delivered a workshop to staff on the children’s ward at the Butabika National Referral Mental Health Hospital, on therapeutic play and how to engage and communicate effectively with children, co-facilitated a community empowerment project and provided sewing machines and training for women to make re-usable sanitary towels, clothing and jewellery for them to earn money.

In The Gambia, Pippa designed and provided training to staff and volunteers at WAYAS on the impact of domestic violence on children, designed and delivered online training for WAYAS volunteers on