Mental Health and Wellness Kenya

11/08/2026

Mental health education must begin early because the struggles young people face today can shape the adults they become tomorrow.

Mental Health and Wellness Kenya, in partnership with Goshen Kids CBO, Saabiko Group of Friends and other partners, was honoured to be part of the WRITE TO LEARN initiative at YMCA School in Laini Saba, Kibera.

It was a powerful and engaging session with learners as we explored mental wellness, emotional wellbeing and some of the challenges they navigate in their everyday lives. What stood out was their openness. The learners shared their experiences, the things that affect their wellbeing, and the different ways they cope and take care of their mental health.

We also had an important conversation about stigma and the barriers it creates. Too often, young people suffer in silence because they fear being judged, misunderstood or labelled. Breaking that silence starts with creating safe spaces where they can speak, ask questions and know that their feelings matter.

The Q&A session was particularly inspiring. The questions, honesty and curiosity from the learners reminded us why these conversations are so important.

Childhood trauma, anxiety, depression, bullying and other emotional challenges do not wait until adulthood to appear. Young people need the knowledge, language and support to understand their mental health early in life.

Mental health education is not a luxury. It is a life skill.

When we teach children to understand their minds, express their emotions and seek help without shame, we are not only supporting healthier learners. We are building healthier families, communities and a healthier generation.

A healthy mind is a healthy life.

14/06/2026

Good morning members,

We are resuming our health webinar series. June is dedicated to raising awareness about Men's Mental Health. KIDA is pleased to announce a webinar this coming Monday titled ‘Understanding Mental Health’.

The talk will be facilitated by Annbel Mwangi, a counseling psychologist, along with our own alumnus, Bravin Yuri, a mental health advocate, founder, and executive director at Mental Health and Wellness Kenya.

You are all invited to join the session on the 15th of June 2026, from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

05/06/2026

12/05/2026

Sometimes the pain you carry did not start with you. It was inherited. Passed down quietly through survival, silence, fear, and wounds that were never given the chance to heal.

Intergenerational trauma is one of the most silent but deadly killers because it rarely announces itself. It does not always come in the form of violence or chaos. Sometimes it comes through emotional distance, harsh parenting, instability, constant fear, anger that has no explanation, or the inability to express love and vulnerability.

One generation goes through pain they never process, and the next generation grows up inside the consequences of that pain. The ripple effect continues.

And because many societies normalize suffering, people are taught to minimize the wound instead of confronting it. You hear statements like:

“Our parents had it worse.”

“At least you have a roof over your head.”

“We survived, didn’t we?”

But survival is not the same as emotional safety. Existing is not the same as healing.

Intergenerational trauma can look like:

• Fear of vulnerability

• Struggling to express emotions

• Constant anxiety and emotional tension

• Hyper-independence that comes from never feeling safe enough to rely on anyone

• Difficulty receiving love

• Living in survival mode even when danger is gone

The hardest part is that pain passed down for generations eventually starts disguising itself as culture, discipline, strength, or normal behavior. People stop questioning it because it is all they have ever known.

Breaking those cycles is painful work because you are often trying to heal yourself while protecting the next generation from inheriting what nearly destroyed you.

Healing is not automatic. It is a choice. A difficult and uncomfortable one.

But awareness changes everything.

The moment one person in a family says, “This ends with me,” something powerful begins to happen. The chain weakens. The silence breaks. Healing slowly starts moving through generations instead of pain.

And sometimes, the most revolutionary thing a person can do is refuse to pass suffering forward.

27/04/2026

Somehow, being constantly busy has become a personality trait and a sign of achievement. If you’re not exhausted or chasing the next task, it might feel like you’re falling behind in life.

But here’s the catch: always being busy isn’t a sign of hard work - it’s a silent plea for pressure disguised as ambition.

Toxic productivity tricks you into thinking:
- Rest is laziness
- Your output equals your worth

So you tell yourself, “let me keep going,” regardless of how burnt out you are, physically and emotionally.

You are allowed to:
- Take breaks without guilt
- Log off on time
- Do your job without sacrificing your well-being

Nothing in this life is worth your mental health. If you’re only considered useful or valuable when overwhelmed, that’s a red flag, not a sign of success.

Let’s normalize balance, not burnout.

15/04/2026

Today marks the day I was born. And for me, it is not just a celebration, it is a moment of truth. A moment to sit with my life, to look at the road behind me, and to ask myself hard questions about the road ahead.

One thing has become painfully clear to me. Regret is a silent thief. It steals time, it steals courage, and before you know it, it steals entire versions of the life you could have lived. Too many of us are trapped comparing who we are to who we think we should have been. We look back wishing we started earlier, wishing we made different choices, wishing we were five years younger with the same awareness we have today.

But life does not reward wishes. It rewards action.
If there is anything you have been holding back on, anything you have been telling yourself you will start “one day”, understand this, that day is today. Start now. Start afraid. Start unprepared. Start with whatever you have. Because the cost of not starting is far greater than the discomfort of beginning.

At the same time, as we think about our individual lives, we cannot ignore the reality of the country we are living in. 2027 is not just another election year. It is a defining moment. A moment that will either correct our direction or deepen the damage we are already feeling.

As I have said before, we need to be very intentional about 2027. Register as a voter. And it doesn't end there. Show up and vote. But more than that make sure your vote counts.

What we are experiencing today is not by accident. It is the result of decisions made, choices participated in or ignored. And the truth is, that mistake has cost us. It has cost us opportunities, dignity, stability, and in many ways, it has already stolen from generations that have not even been born yet.

Look around. There is a quiet crisis among young people. Many are growing older with parents who once carried them, protected them, sacrificed everything for them. And now, when the roles are supposed to reverse, when they are supposed to give back, they can barely stand on their own feet. Not because they are lazy, not because they do not care, but because the system has made survival itself a daily battle.

That is not just an economic failure. It is a human one.

This is why, on a day that means much to me, my biggest wish is for support towards something that truly matters.

Mental Health and Wellness Kenya is more than an organization. It is a response to a silent struggle that too many people are fighting alone. Drug addiction, gambling, depression etc. It is about creating spaces where people can speak without fear, where stigma is broken, and where support is not a privilege but a right.

We are building something real. Safe spaces. Conversations that heal. Advocacy that pushes change. A future where every county has accessible wellness centres, rooted in the community and built for the people.

We have taken a big step by securing an office space, a place where ideas become action and where lives begin to change. But sustaining it has not been easy since we are self-funded. The monthly cost of KSh 35,000 has become a weight we cannot carry alone.

If my voice has ever made you think, if my words have ever made you feel seen, if you believe in a Kenya where mental health is taken seriously, then stand with us. Support us. Help us keep this space alive.

Any contribution, big or small, makes a difference.
You can support through +254707884567.

Today, as I mark another year of life, I choose purpose over comfort, action over hesitation, and impact over silence. And I am inviting you to be part of that choice.

Happy Birthday Bravin Yuri.

25/03/2026

"'Silence is known as weakness"- What society tells us but is it really a sign of great weakness or lack of understanding and empathy to create the environment to speak up.

Many young people feel that the space and environment to speak up on their struggles is more often denied or not given any thought into it. Vulnerability is often punished especially when it comes to the male gender although women are being encouraged by society to be more stronger than they were in the past.

Silence is a major coping mechanism that the youth opt for rather than show an ounce of weakness which will be shunned. The silence they hold and all their emotions and struggles bottled up they opt to express it a different way example.. Showing aggression, self harm, emotional displacement and physical symptoms( Headaches and body pains)

How can we as a society rectify this:

1. Normalize emotional expression( Have public conversations in schools, workplaces, families and media stations)

2. Improve parenting and caregiving approaches( Teach parents to listen without immediately correcting or judging)

3. Increase mental health support( More school counsellors and youth friendly therapy services and Safe spaces where young people can talk freely without stigma)...etc

Change will not come fast but steps should be made.... we are loosing many of our youth by limiting their expressive nature. A challenge to all of us lets make our environment conducive to allow anyone to express how they feel without fear of being judged or scrutinized.

What do you think is silence really a show of vulnerability?

06/03/2026

This Friday, March 6th, 2026, on My story Stori Yangu, we'll be discussing Youth Mental Health Crisis. You are all welcome.

What do you think is the biggest challenge affecting youth mental health today?