For years, Heart to Heart International has worked alongside global partners dedicated to expanding mental health support. This May, in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, we are proud to highlight an extraordinary partnership in West Africa that is redefining how mental healthcare is delivered.
A Holistic Path to Mental Health Recovery in Benin
Earlier this year, HHI sent $17 million worth of specialized mental health medications to the Association Saint Camille (ASC) in Benin, Africa. In this nation of 14 million people, individuals experiencing severe mental health disorders often face stigma and isolation. ASC’s mission is to change that by offering a comprehensive path to recovery.
ASC’s community-focused, experience-guided service model is making a remarkable impact on mental healthcare in West Africa. Many staff members are former patients themselves, and because they have walked in the patients’ shoes, they understand the struggles and can lead with profound empathy.
The organization’s approach includes:
- Welcoming patients and providing an accurate diagnosis.
- Providing structured treatment, including medications when necessary.
- Helping patients learn a trade at a training center.
- Supporting long-term reintegration into society alongside medical follow-up appointments.
Radical Transparency and Deep Trust
Our HHI team recently visited ASC’s facilities, which include three inpatient centers and several outpatient dispensaries. Tena Tiruneh, HHI’s Vice President of Programs, noted the powerful atmosphere during the visit: “The environment is defined by radical transparency, with staff and patients openly discussing mental health status—a consistent trend observed across the organization.”
Driven by core values of welcome, compassion, listening, patience, and trust, ASC goes far beyond clinical treatment. To ensure residents can thrive during and after recovery, the organization runs self-sufficiency initiatives, including an onsite bakery for vocational training, community gardens, and three farms that provide food for the residents.
Multiplying Our Global Impact
By supplying critical medications, HHI helps alleviate a major financial burden for ASC, freeing up their resources to sustain and expand these life-changing community programs. We are honored to support ASC. Thanks to our generous donors, we were able to support other mental health programs across 10 countries in 2025 alone, proving that our mission of improving access to health must always include mental health.
