Professor Astrid Berg (President Elect WAIMH) provides a history of WCAIMH (Western Cape Association for Infant Mental Health):

In 1995 the first conference in South Africa on infant mental health was held at the University of Cape Town. We had several speakers from Europe and the UK. But it was also clear from the numerous presentations from local
colleagues, that there was an acute awareness of the importance of the beginning of life. It was perhaps not by chance that this conference was held during the infancy of South Africa’s democracy and that this was the reason
why it engendered so much enthusiasm. It felt like a new beginning on many levels.

We established the Western Cape Association for Infant Mental Health (WCAIMH) immediately after this first conference. Right from the beginning we were affiliated to the World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH). As with WAIMH, WCAIMH’s aims were to focus on the development of infants and on their relationships with their caregivers. Membership was open to all professionals who were working with and interested in the early years. This multi-disciplinary nature of the association with no profession dominating, was essential to its functioning and appeal.

We have been holding monthly meetings since that time. Over the years we have hosted many speakers – local colleagues and visitors from abroad. Notably Suzanne Maiello (Rome), Nancy Suchman (Yale), Bea Wirz (Cape Town), Nicola Dugmore (Johannesburg), Balance Rezant (Cape Town). We were also able to financially support various community projects, such as the Parent Centre.

In 2002 a second IMH Conference was organized. A highlight however was when the WAIMH held its 13th World Congress in Cape Town in 2012. This was an event that to this day is appreciated locally and internationally. It served as another impetus to further development in terms of academic training and provincial policies.

While Covid was an interruption of many regular activities, it also provided us with the opportunity to become proficient in online platforms. For the last two years WCAIMH continued its monthly meetings online. Whilst the personal contact was missed, it has enabled greater geographical inclusivity, so much so that we have had speakers from further afield in South Africa, as well as from abroad. This has enriched our meetings enormously. It is in line with this new development that it made sense for us to more formally collaborate and work together with colleagues across our country and consequently the South African Association for Infant Mental Health (ZA-AIMH) was formed. It is hoped that this larger, more South African representative body would increase our footprint significantly and enable us to many more colleagues who could make valuable contributions to increasing knowledge in the field as well as sharpening our advocacy skills. We would also work closely together with our colleagues in WAIMH and make contributions from Africa – something that is sorely needed and that WAIMH very much wants and welcomes.

The working together, both locally and with international colleagues, is not only rewarding but is a lived experience of the centrality that relationships and connectedness hold for all of us, and most urgently for infants and young children.