Bennie Damul is a Global Mental Health researcher and practitioner with a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Global Health from Vanderbilt University. Her research focuses on mental health, specifically exploring how stigma, discrimination, and inequalities affect healthcare outcomes in marginalized communities. Before embarking on the Public Health program at Vanderbilt, Bennie worked as a program assistant at Family Health International (FHI360), where she earned the prestigious Lynda Cole Award for Excellence in Leadership (2023). She holds a BSc in Psychology from Xavier University, where she was both a Community Engaged Fellow and a Brueggeman Research Fellow. In her free time, Bennie enjoys reading and working on sustainable fashion design projects. 

Halima Jafiya is a culturally-aware psychologist and mental health practitioner with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Essex and a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from the University of Southampton. She currently practices as a therapist and mental health consultant, supporting individuals and communities on their journey toward healing and well-being. With experience across clinical and non-clinical settings, Halima has worked with both private and public sector organisations such as the National Hospital Abuja, Reconnect Health Development Initiative, and the KSH Foundation. Her growing interest in public health has led to work with Viedal Healthcare and FHI 360, where she contributed to mental health programming with a population-level lens.

Halima’s expertise lies in trauma-informed care, culturally-sensitive therapy, and developing sustainable community-based mental health interventions, particularly those that centre women’s experiences. She is passionate about bridging the gap between mental health and public health through evidence-based, accessible, and contextually relevant approaches.