Ubels investigates how people cope with extreme circumstances, such as fleeing war or surviving hunger. 'I want to know how these people talk about well-being so that we can help them better with that,' Ubels begins. 'Right now, the primary research is about what stresses people out. Does the help we offer now align with the motivations of those who need it? And how do we avoid defining their well-being? These are difficult questions that do not have unambiguous answers. Because what exactly is well-being, isn't that different for everyone? Ubels' research shows that a search for the definition does not produce loose concepts; it is not a dictionary exercise. Instead, the search teaches us important lessons about happiness and resilience, as well as social relations and social structures, and the importance of hope. A search that began with the programmes of psychosocial support organisations in Uganda and the Netherlands, two different contexts in which people are helped to get back on their feet. The programmes in Uganda, in particular, can be particularly instructive for the Netherlands.
Community-based aid in Uganda
In community-based caregiving programs, local community members play an active role in providing support, setting this approach apart from Western methods that focus on individual therapy, according to Ubels. This community-centred model fascinates her and has led her research to Uganda, where such practices are already well established. Ubels' interviews with respondents in Uganda revealed that caring for family members and ensuring food security are significant sources of happiness. 'Group meetings are effective in fostering trust, sharing experiences, and enhancing mutual support,' Ubels explains. People gather weekly in a church or another convenient location, navigating various challenges together. During these sessions, they share their struggles, offer advice, and find a sense of connection, which ultimately boosts their sense of autonomy. 'Just being able to give advice, for instance, can make people feel useful again,' Ubels notes, though she acknowledges that this feeling often fades quickly after the meetings.
Volunteering in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, Ubels examined caregiving programmes offered to people without residence status or in other vulnerable positions. This group interprets happiness and well-being as a meaningful way to spend the day, with hopes for improvement in the future, safety and stability, and social connectedness. Trained volunteers provide psychosocial support here. These can be individual or group sessions, but they are not community-based, as in Uganda. 'In these kinds of programmes, you run into restrictions more quickly, for instance due to Dutch policy,' says Ubels. People often want to return to work and hope to build a better future, but they are unable to do so because they lack residence status. Consequently, there's often an overwhelming expectation that these programs will deliver 'happiness,' even though structural poverty and exclusion stand in the way. Nevertheless, participants do feel acknowledged and valued through these initiatives, and they can receive meaningful support as a result.
More community-based caregiving?
'My research confirms that these aid organisations are well on their way to listening to participants. So that is positive,' Ubels says. Additionally, she believes that there is still much to learn from community-based aid programs in the Netherlands, in particular. 'We can also emphasise the importance of community-oriented support. By establishing safe spaces in local areas where individuals can connect, we can foster interactions beyond traditional care settings,' Ubels says.
However, shortly after Ubels completed her thesis, the Dutch government agreed to a stricter asylum policy. A policy that criminalises the presence of individuals in the Netherlands who lack proper documentation. This initiative also aims to make it illegal to assist those without residence status.
Precisely because of this development, care, hope, and resilience could become even more vulnerable if they remain the responsibility of aid organisations and individual volunteers. Perhaps more community-based aid could offer a solution by continuing to collectively care for each other, regardless of origin or status.
Ubels developed a video about these two forms of psychosocial care for her thesis.