Facebook backs Nigerian mental health NGO She Writes Woman (SWW); selected to participate in 2020 Facebook Accelerator program

The Facebook Accelerator Program is a three-month program aimed at addressing specific business challenges facing the news industry. Accelerator programs bring news organizations together to innovate; learn from one another; and collaboratively develop strategies to improve their business both on and off Facebook.

She Writes Woman is a women-led movement of love, hope and support that gives mental health a voice in Nigeria. The organization was founded in April 2016 by Hauwa Ojeifo, following a double diagnosis of bipolar and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Today, She Writes Woman (SWW) Safe Place community announced it has been selected for the 2020 Facebook
Accelerator, a six-month program focused on helping impactful communities to grow. ⁠According to organization, a total number of 77 communities across six regions have been selected to participate.

Up to $3 million total will be awarded to program participants globally. The selected participants will each receive up to $30k to execute their growth plans during the 6-month program and could be eligible to receive part of the $500K additional funding available at the end of the program to further grow their communities and impact Safe Place Nigeria started as a first of its kind women-only support group initiated in October 2016.

Hauwa Ojeifo, the Executive Director, created Safe Place Nigeria to provide a stigma and judgment-free space for young people to talk about mental health-related issues. It has become a community for young people to learn, feel connected, get support and feel a sense of belonging. Its 22,000+ members have benefited from free telephone counselling, support groups and mental health resources.

“ She Writes Woman’s initiative, Safe Place Nigeria, is focused on building a dedicated online community for the growing number of mental health-conscious Nigerians, especially now with restrictions in accessing physical spaces While we have directly supported over 900 beneficiaries in the last 2 years, this Accelerator offers us an unprecedented opportunity to scale access to mental healthcare, self-care tools and wellness resources”, said the Hauwa Ojeifo, Executive Director of She Writes Woman.

This is a six-month program aimed at helping these community leaders quickly and strategically achieve their growth goals. The Community Accelerator provides training, support and funding to enable great communities to make an even greater positive impact in the world. It is focused more specifically on communities that are already established, have a business model, and are looking to grow their community through Facebook’s family of apps.

Since inception, Ojeifo’s work has received the 2018 Queen’s Young Leaders Award, 2019 Obama Africa Leader, 2018 Viacom MTV EMA Generation Change and Women Deliver 2020, among others. She is currently a One Young World ambassador and has spoken at the United Nations several times.