The Belonging Museum.

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  Exhibit 001

  Decongesting Butabika National Referral Mental HospitalYouBelong Uganda
  Kampala, UgandaFamily members embrace their loved one recovering from severe mental illness, overjoyed to welcome him home after a long stay in the national mental hospital. Nearby, a YouBelong social worker who helped prepare him for return home looks on.At the center of the photo, the embrace by the family makes belonging an intentional act of inclusion. This is a powerful cultural symbol of belonging. He is received by his family, not simply returned to them. The home around them situates belonging at a family home and not in an institution which he left behind. The social worker's look frames the family's warmth and acceptance. This act of recognition of human dignity and being a valued member of the family is a crucial symbol of belonging.Photo by Kenneth Ayesiga, Team Leader, YouBelong Uganda
  youbelongcommunity.org
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  Exhibit 002

  Strengthening Care in Collaboration with People with Lived Experience of Psychosis in Uganda (SCAPE-U)YouBelong Uganda
  Kampala, UgandaA YouBelong social worker and a YouBelong mental health nurse with the caregiver of a person with lived experience of severe mental illness. The team had just finished a home visit offering psychosocial support, and the caregiver was thanking them.The photograph builds belonging as a connection. The caregiver's hands reach both workers at once, making a chain of three rather than a private exchange. As the caregiver and one worker lean toward each other, smiling, belonging appears as mutual approach rather than a one-way message of gratitude. The second worker's laughter adds ease. The relationship is warm rather than remote or only clinical. Here, belonging is built on the experience of trust, mutuality and equality.Photo by Jacob Mudduawulira
  youbelongcommunity.org
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  Exhibit 003

  Belonging Under the Trees. Bringing Mental Health Conversations to Rural MalawiEsther Jiya, Mthunzi Minds
  Rural Blantyre, MalawiStudents gathered beneath the shade of trees at Chigumukile Community Day Secondary School in rural Blantyre, Malawi, during a mental health awareness session facilitated by Mthunzi Minds.Sometimes, belonging begins with something as simple as gathering under a tree and knowing that your voice matters. In rural Malawi, where conversations about mental health can be limited by stigma and lack of resources, Mthunzi Minds brings young people together to learn, connect, and talk about their mental wellbeing. Through school-based awareness campaigns, we create spaces where students feel included, supported, and reminded that they are not alone. For us, belonging means ensuring that no young person is left out of the conversation about mental health, regardless of where they live.Photo by the Mthunzi Minds team
  mthunziminds.org
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  Exhibit 004

  Community Dog GroupBradshaw Street Dog Community
  Bradshaw Street Reserve, Essendon, Victoria, AustraliaThe community group for dog owners who live within walking distance of the park.During Melbourne's lockdowns, when every other social structure was under pressure, the dogs kept people outside. Same park. Same time. Same strangers. Repeated proximity created familiarity, familiarity created trust, and trust created community. Nobody designed it. Nobody scheduled it. The park was always there. The animals made it inevitable. That group in the photo did not form because the people had anything in common. They formed because their dogs did. The pet was the shared identity that dissolved the barrier between neighbours who had lived metres apart for years and never spoken. That is not a lifestyle observation. That is belonging infrastructure, built from the ground up, at zero cost, by animals.Photo by Jim Schuman
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  Exhibit 005

  Annual Production, Vanakkam (Welcome) Chennai 2096Yein Udaan
  Chennai, IndiaA joyful moment of celebration at Yein Udaan's annual production, with children cheering, laughing and gathering around the cake to mark nine years of Yein Udaan. The photograph brings together the people who have shaped and grown with the organisation, our founders, core team, children, families and community members. Some of the young people who once came to Yein Udaan as students are now part of the team and contributing to the community that supported them.Yein Udaan creates a stage where children from Chetpet Dhobighat (washerman community), Chennai, can come together, discover their talents and have the confidence to perform in front of their community and supporters. Vanakkam Chennai 2096 brought 100+ children together as actors, singers, dancers and directors, giving each of them a role in creating and telling a story about the future of their city. For many children, the stage is an opportunity to step beyond what they may be known for academically and be recognised for their creativity, voice and talent. It creates a space where children cheer for one another, families come together, and the wider community celebrates what their children can do. At its heart, the production is about belonging defining our childhood. Having a place, having a voice, and knowing that your community is proud to see you on that stage!Photo by MK Prathap and Sujitharan Chandra Sekar, Kayak Films
  yeinudaan.org
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  Exhibit 006

  Chocolate and Coffee Day for Religious HarmonyAndrea Putting, Founder
  Melbourne, Australia, and anywhere in the worldA selfie taken during a Chocolate and Coffee Day encounter. Two women sharing chocolate and a moment of connection.Chocolate and Coffee Day for Religious Harmony began in 2015 with a simple invitation: share chocolate, coffee and conversation with someone whose beliefs, culture or life experiences differ from your own. What began as one day has grown into a movement encouraging Chocolate and Coffee Breaks any day, anywhere. It's about moving beyond labels and assumptions, getting to know the person behind the differences and recognising our shared humanity. We don't have to agree or become alike to accept one another. Belonging can begin with something as simple as two people sitting down together and sharing a conversation.Photo by Andrea Putting (selfie)
  chocolateandcoffeebreak.com · @chocolateandcoffeebreak
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  Exhibit 007

  Chocolate and Coffee Break: A Compassionate PropositionAndrea Putting, Creator and Host
  Melbourne, Australia, with guests internationallyA montage of genuine screenshots from the television programme, featuring conversations with guests from different backgrounds, cultures and lived experiences.Chocolate and Coffee Break: A Compassionate Proposition brings people from different backgrounds, cultures and life experiences together through honest, human conversations. Each episode creates space for someone to share their story, inviting audiences to look beyond labels, question assumptions and discover the person behind the differences. Through television and digital platforms, these one-to-one conversations reach people who may never otherwise encounter these perspectives. The show is part of a wider movement encouraging people to create their own Chocolate and Coffee Breaks, building compassion, understanding and belonging through everyday human connection.Image by Andrea Putting, using screenshots from Chocolate and Coffee Break episodes
  chocolateandcoffeebreak.com · @chocolateandcoffeebreak

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