Basic Needs Basic Rights Kenya

01/09/2026

SAVE THE DATE. Come join our team Basic Needs Basic Rights Kenya, Nairobi City County and other stakeholders in mental health to commemorate World Su***de Prevention Day 2026.

The theme is "Changing the Narrative on Su***de", accompanied by the official call to action: "Start the Conversation"

31/08/2026

"Before I started bringing my son to this mental health clinic, he was very problematic. He would at times get very angry and aggressive and did not support with any household chores. However, today, after just three months, he is now okay. He is no longer problematic and is even supporting with household chores as well as working on our farm." - Alice, caregiver to a 30-year-old son with a mental health condition.

Alice is one among 73 project participants including service users and their caregivers, currently benefitting from monthly mental health outreach clinics at Sachangwan Health Centre and Kaptich Sururu Dispensary in Nakuru County.

These outreach clinics are among initiatives we use to increase access to mental health and psychosocial support services especially in rural underserved regions of the country. During these outreaches, service users and their caregivers receive general health check ups, psychotropic medication where necessary and counselling.

This is a collaboration by Basic Needs Basic Rights Kenya and the County Government of Nakuru, supported by the Segal Family Foundation

28/08/2026

Our team at Basic Needs Basic Rights Kenya will be joining Nairobi City County and other stakeholders in mental health to commemorate World Su***de Prevention Day 2026.

This years theme is "Changing the Narrative on Su***de", accompanied by the official call to action: "Start the Conversation."

07/08/2026

Raap Comprehensive School from Oldonyiro Sub County continues to shine as it represented Isiolo County and Eastern Region at the Kenya National Music Festivals.

The Junior Boys Folk Dance themed around life skills and values achieved 1st position with 91% whereas the mixed Boys and Girls Folk Song, also themed around life skills and values achieved 2nd position with 89%. The Junior Boys Folk Dance has consequently qualified for the National Gala scheduled for 11th August 2026.

Beyond national exposure and recognition, participation in the Kenya Music Festivals continues to build learners' confidence, creativity, teamwork, and communication skills. It also strengthens their love for school and co-curricular activities while providing a practical platform for nurturing life skills and values.

This milestone demonstrates the potential of co-curricular activities as a powerful avenue for promoting life skills and values among in-school adolescents and showcases what can be achieved by integrating the Youth First Kenya (YFK) Personal Resilience and Health curriculum into co-curricular activities.

The YFK program is based on a KICD Kenya approved curriculum that was developed by WorldBeing and adapted for Kenya and is being implemented by Basic Needs Basic Rights Kenya supported by Z**i Afrique Foundation in Isiolo County and Echidna in 13 other Counties.

05/08/2026

This is very refreshing feedback from learners and teachers in Nyandarua County.

Nurturing resilience skills during adolescence is highly valuable because it acts as a primary protective buffer against mental health conditions, with studies indicating that half of all lifelong mental health conditions manifest before the age of 14 years.

To this effect, Basic Needs Basic Rights Kenya is implementing the Youth First Kenya Personal Resilience and Health program that is grounded in a socio-emotional learning framework that equips adolescents with the core competencies of emotional regulation, problem-solving, and self-efficacy, among others, allowing them to successfully navigate academic and social pressures. Young people who cultivate these capacities tend to bounce back faster from everyday setbacks and exhibit a substantially lower risk of developing mental health conditions.

The YFK program is based on a KICD Kenya approved curriculum that was developed by WorldBeing and adapted for Kenya and is being implemented by Basic Needs Basic Rights Kenya supported by a grant from Echidna.

04/08/2026

28/07/2026

"We have seen tremendous impact on our learners courtesy of the Youth First Kenya Personal Resilience and Health Project. For instance, the level of confidence among girls has really improved, noting that in this community, the culture dictates that girls must be submissive and should not freely express themselves in front of boys. However, we are seeing girls being more participatory in and outside class and even volunteering to do things like prayers, which for a long time was the preserve of males." - Mr. Muema, teacher in Garissa County

This is some of the positive feedback our team is receiving from teachers who are part of the Youth First Kenya (YFK) program, that is based on a KICD approved curriculum that was developed by WorldBeing and adapted for Kenya and is being implemented by Basic Needs Basic Rights Kenya supported by a grant from the Echidna Giving Fund.

We are appreciative of the continued collaboration from the Ministry of Education and Teachers Service Commission officials at both National and County levels, who accompanied our team during recent monitoring visits to Bungoma, Kwale, Lamu, Taita Taveta, Tana River, Garissa, Mombasa, Tharaka Nithi, Nyandarua, Nyeri and Machakos Counties, where the program is being implemented in Junior Schools.

27/07/2026

Our team at Basic Needs Basic Rights Kenya was thrilled to host the amazing Laura from Comic Relief at our offices in Nairobi. It was an incredible opportunity to have a discussion about shared learnings from their support of our work in community mental health. We shared information, encouragement and also a delicious piece of cake to celebrate our partnership.

To the entire Comic Relief team, thank you for your unwavering belief in our mission to foster communities that value mental health and wellbeing using rights-based approaches. We remain deeply committed to the highest-standard of stewardship and absolute accountability as we drive lasting change together.

10/07/2026

“While upholding the public’s right to know, you must always look to harness accuracy, uphold fairness, minimise harm, and maximise accountability.”

This was one of the key takeaways following a series of mental health trainings for journalists from Isiolo, Marsabit, Kisumu, Kakamega, Siaya and Busia Counties, conducted in partnership between Media Council of Kenya and Basic Needs Basic Rights Kenya.

These trainings are part of our joint efforts to provide journalists with the necessary tools they need to prioritize their own mental health and wellbeing even as they are tasked with championing the elimination of stigmatising language and images used in media reports touching on mental health, ensuring mental health reporting respects privacy, upholds human dignity and promotes recovery.

07/07/2026

Art has the power to transform education. Through the ALiVE Programme in Isiolo County, Basic Needs Basic Rights Kenya recently supported learners and teachers from three Junior Schools to compete at the Regional Level of the Kenya Music Festival in Makueni County.

These young artists did not just perform – they advocated. We had an opportunity to see creative advocacy in action as the learners developed unique performances themed around life skills and values that they had acquired through the program. By embedding adolescent resilience skills into their art, they proved that complex life lessons can be creatively shared, moving from the classroom to community advocacy.

We are incredibly proud to announce that one of the supported schools has officially qualified for the National level of the Music Festival, where they will be performing two of their traditional dances in their local Samburu dialect.

Congratulations to all the talented learners and dedicated teachers. We are excited to see them shine on the national stage!

Z**i Afrique Foundation