PMHP

PMHP is pleased to welcome Renshia Manuel as our new gardening and maintenance service provider at the Hanover Park Maternal Support Service demonstration site.

Renshia is a long-standing friend of PMHP and a committed community leader in Hanover Park. As the founder and CEO of GrowBox Nursery, she has played an important role in strengthening local food security, environmental learning and community-based entrepreneurship.
She steps into this role following the untimely passing of Godfrey Abrahams, who lovingly established and maintained the garden at our Hanover Park site.

We are grateful that Renshia will continue caring for this space and building on the foundation Godfrey created.
At PMHP, we understand that care environments matter. The garden at the Maternal Support Service demonstration site is more than a physical space. It forms part of a broader environment of dignity, reflection and support for mothers, staff and the wider community.

We look forward to this next chapter of care, continuity and community connection.

Blog linked in story and bio

FoodSecurity MentalHealth GrowBox

Our director, Simone Honikman, was invited to speak at the World Health Organization (WHO) Africa Intercountry Learning Workshop “Accelerating progress towards the 2030 African Region Mental Health targets for East and Southern Africa” in Johannesburg.

On a panel with colleagues from Kenya, Mozambique and Tanzania, Simone shared country successes, challenges and recommendations, drawing from our experiences with our stepped-care collaborative service model, our work in shaping policy and practice and strengthening the health system.

Neerja Chowdhary from World Health Organization headquarters, presented on the WHO guide for integration of perinatal mental health in maternal and child health services that PMHP co-developed with WHO and the companion toolkit that is due for finalisation soon.

It was exciting to learn how many countries were drawing from this guidance.

Perinatal mental health (PMH) is essential to the wellbeing of mothers, babies, and families - yet many across low- and middle-income countries continue to face shared challenges in integrating and scaling effective support.

AlignMNH invites practitioners, researchers, advocates, policymakers, and those with lived experience to join the Perinatal Mental Health Community of Practice - a free collaborative space for shared learning, practical problem-solving, and exchange of PMH tools and strategies.

In partnership with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), through the THRIVE Project, we are conducting a PMH learning needs survey to help shape:
• Webinar series
• Technical learning opportunities
• Open-access PMH resources and repositories

The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete, and your participation will contribute to the development of free PMH learning opportunities across the region. Please help us to design content for your capacity building needs. We would deeply appreciate your time.

🔗 Join the Community of Practice (free of charge)
🔗 Participate in the survey

Links in bio and story

PMHP Director, Simone Honikman, has been invited to present at the World Health Organization (WHO) Mental Health Intercountry Meeting on 29 May 2026, in Johannesburg.

Her presentation Perinatal mental health in South Africa, will highlight the need to strengthen maternal mental health within wider health systems, service delivery and capacity-building efforts.

The meeting, hosted by the WHO Regional Office for Africa, brings together countries from East and Southern Africa. Its purpose is to support intercountry learning, share country experiences and best practices, discuss barriers to reaching the 2030 African Region mental health targets, and develop practical roadmaps for accelerating progress.

We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this important regional platform and to continue advocating for perinatal mental health as a core component of equitable, accessible and integrated mental health care.

Africa WHOAFRO PMHP

Our 2025 Annual Report is here 💜

This year, PMHP continued to work towards a future where maternal mental health is recognised as a vital part of maternal and child health care - and where every mother can access compassionate, evidence-based and timely support.

From direct care to national and global advocacy, this report reflects the many ways PMHP works to support mothers, infants, families and the systems around them.

We are deeply grateful to the mothers, health workers, partners, Advisory Board, funders, donors, volunteers, interns and supporters who make this work possible.
Read the full report via the link in our bio.

On 6 May, World Maternal Mental Health Day, the CHIME SA (Community Health Intervention through Musical Engagement for Maternal Mental Health) project will be officially launched.

Bringing together healthcare providers, community partners, and women with lived experience, the launch creates space for dialogue on both the realities of maternal mental health and the solutions needed to strengthen care.

Through panel discussions, shared experiences, and musical collaboration, CHIME SA centres community voice, connection, and creative approaches to healing - highlighting the role of empathic, trauma-informed support in maternal mental health care.

As the Perinatal Mental Health Project, we are proud to contribute to this important moment and to ongoing advocacy for accessible, respectful, and responsive services for women and families.

We look forward to sharing reflections from the day.    

We’re delighted to celebrate Thanya April, PMHP’s Operations Manager, on graduating with her Honours in Industrial and Organisational Psychology with distinction.

We’re so proud to mark this special milestone with her, and excited that she has also begun her Master’s in Programme Evaluation this year.

Congratulations, Thanya, and we wish every success as you continue your studies.

In memory of Godfrey Abrahams 🌿

We would like to remember and honour Godfrey Abrahams, our PMHP Maintenance Assistant, whose presence, care, and dedication meant so much to us.
Godfrey helped shape the PMHP garden into what it is today - a living, growing sanctuary from stress at the Hanover Park Hospital. Every plant and shaded corner reflects his hard work and generosity.

He will be remembered not only for his dedication and reliability, but also for his sense of humour, which brought light to everyday moments and laughter to those around him.
His legacy lives on in this garden and in the many people who were welcomed, supported, and uplifted within it.

May his memory continue to grow and bloom. 🕊️🌸