Mental Health Uganda has appointment Journalist Pat Robert LARUBI as their new Communications Officer where he is expected to oversee the day to day general communication needs of the organization.
Pat joins Mental Health Uganda following a successful term working as a disability blog/ media consultant with National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda (NUDIPU) where he focused on popularizing the inclusion of persons with disability in Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), 1, 2 and 11. Prior to that, he was engrossed in his activism work with Pats Journal, an online, media and human rights Non-governmental organization working towards inclusion, ending stigma and discrimination faced by persons with albinism.

This comes after he quite his work in mainstream media where he had worked for years in varying capacity. With the Journal, he worked as the director of communication and head of strategies where he oversaw the provision of person centered support, recognition and medical need of persons with Albinism. Besides their mental health and social care services through numerous outreach programs. Working as volunteer communication manager with Source of the Nile Union of Persons with Albinism (SNUPA), Pat led a team of ten youth with albinism for the first ever Mr and Miss Albinism East Africa regional contest held in Nairobi Kenya.
The event held under the theme of “Beauty Beyond the Colour” with support from the Albinism Society of Kenya (ASK) was aimed at creating public awareness across the region and the world about factual aspects of albinism, ending prejudice, social oppression, discrimination and exposing contestants to the vast existing opportunities in the creative art industry throughout the world.

Indeed, their participation earned Uganda a position in regards to support, protection and recognition of Persons with albinism beside their vested abilities to take on the challenge. through these endless efforts, Olive Auma, a dental surgeon based in Moroto was crowned first Miss Albinism Uganda while Paul Wakibona, a student of industrial arts and design from Kyambogo University merged as Mr Albinism Uganda respectively.

He remains to be a big influencer on issues regarding albinism and disability at large but prior to that, Pat worked as an independent investigative journalist, special features TV News producer for BBS Terefayina. Lifestyle, reporter and travel photographer for Soft Power News. A re-known blogger and award-winning disability rights activist who has been covering a number of issues around health and disability.

Mr Derrick Kiiza, the Chief Executive Officer Mental Health Uganda in first meeting with Pat welcomed him urging that his addition to the team is a plus for reviving and strengthening our media relations, our visibility and repute. Above all, it will expand our conversations around mental health in the country and beyond.
Pat Robert Larubi thanked the select committee for entrusting him with this role with a promise to lead the unit and work closely with dedicated and experienced staff towards achieving the mission of mental health Uganda.

Pat and his journalism trail:- He is most remembered for his mind blowing report
herein at (https://youtu.be/QX3Ur4uXcGU) on the plight of children battling nodding syndrome in Northern Ugandan district of Omoro, Pader and Kitgum. In 2018 he scooped an inaugural award by East African Centre for disability Law and Policy for his outstanding and exemplary positive portrayal of Persons with Disability in the media. Winner of 2017 3rd place best portrait photographer at Ugandan Press Photo Awards. He formerly lectured basic ICT and camera skills to hundreds of students at UMCAT School of Journalism.

Pat is a graduate of Journalism still from UMCAT School of Journalism, holds a BA in business computing / Information and System Management and a pedagogical teaching certificate. He is an acclaimed DW Akademie – Tell the Story – “Conflict Sensitive Journalism” and Foundry Foundation Photojournalism Fellow. And finally, the acting chairperson of Conservation, Tourism and Media Association of Uganda (COTMA-U) creating positive destination perception with accurate, balanced and fair tourism tales in a bid to market destination Uganda.
As he settles at mental health Uganda, Pat goes in with broad wealth in media, documentary photography, media training, public relations and media management skills with several years of cross cutting and relevant experience.