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How many women face gender-based violence each year? Globally , approximately one in three women experience rape or physical abuse at some point in their lifetime. The numbers are even more shocking when we look at children—nearly one in two girls and one in five boys worldwide experience sexual abuse before the age of 18. This global violence epidemic has lasting effects; survivors of gender-based violence are at an increased risk of long-term mental health problems including depression,...

Stress awareness week ended today. I have been thinking about the children given they often get forgotten. My main focus is on how the impact of the pandemic is still affecting them. Children get forgotten when the adults are busy surviving. When caregivers and parents are unavailable, children miss out on nurturing, which affects their development. They end up struggling with a sense of who they are It is fair to note that children are not born with a sense of self-concept. Self-concept...

As we close Mental Health month we would like to revisit this account of child abuse. Simply because this sensitive topic does not mean I will shy away from sharing it. In African society, child abuse is spoken of in hushed tones and outrightly ignored. Many have branded it as "disciplining ". This is further reinforced by that Bible verse that each parent seems to know. However, this is an account of how child abuse is seen in Sweden regarding the hypocrisy of imagining that it is not a...

Loneliness is not just being alone. It’s also feeling unwanted, isolated and disconnected from other people. Africa used to be community-oriented, but things started changing when the different countries were colonized. Suddenly, the people could not trust each other which led to a slow but sure crumble in our societal structure. As the years went by, rural-to-urban migration became a reality which slowly made up the current individualistic culture. Loneliness can worsen our mental health.

By now you know that stress is a constant in life. How we cope with it makes all the difference. There are both healthy and unhealthy ones. That is where things tend to go wrong and can lead to alcoholism. Stress is at the core of alcoholism. It is also at the core of unhealthy coping mechanisms. One of the most asked questions is, “ Can’t alcoholics just stop drinking? ” That always sounds like the first and only solution that comes to mind. Yet compassion should help us ask, “ What caused...

I have been thinking about how easy it is to focus on the mental illness side of the conversation and forget the wellness bit. That definitely inspired this blog post. I firmly believe in balance, and we are about to establish it together. Did you know that well-being is what is responsible for our happiness and sense of belonging? Did you also know that stress affects your wellbeing? I actually wrote about it here Berkley defines well-being as a sense of health and vitality that arises from...

I believe we should talk about money on a daily basis. That way we can all remember how it affects our wellness. More so, we should talk about it from a point of an abundance mindset. Which helps us know how to use money to meet our needs. We end up inheriting a scarcity mindset if our exposure to money was out of fear, scarcity or abject poverty. Each experience affects our perception of money differently. As we heal from trauma we have to also deal with financial wellness. Post traumatic...

This feel like the obligatory mid year reminder that depression is in fact part of our reality. Each day I come across memes about depression. On the very bad days, one line tweets after people lose their loved ones. It always reads, "Depression is real" Back in May we briefly highlighted what depression is in line with dropping the disorder. You should know that language matters in Mental Health. In most cases, its what helps break the stigma, shame and open up a new avenue for healing. The...

Did you know that stress is stored in the muscles? It actually does not just end. On the other hand, our bodies interpret trauma as stress (which it is). The more we are exposed to trauma, the more our bodies are harmed. Your body remembers what you felt which leads to a shift in behavior. Stress also manifests physically. For instance, having tense muscles, headaches, stomach upsets and other issues. As we keep getting informed, more people desire to heal. However, the current approach...

I know for sure that we, Kenyans, have always lived in a constant survival mode. Things seem to get worse during the election years. Currently the cost of living is going up, so is inflation yet our salaries are not changing. Well, it is also only applicable to those who have jobs. Of course joblessness is one of the biggest challenge a majority of Kenyan youths struggle with daily. Our environment has always been more hostile especially around elections season. The biggest nightmare being...

Since 2019 there have been increasing cases of women being killed by men. In April this year two women athletes were killed by their respective lovers in their homes. This was shortly after they had won their respective races. Which begs the question: Is femicide a sign of resistance to change? These two women had won in their respective races. That translates to cash gifts, brand endorsements, and ability to lead fulfilling lives with minimal stress. The next logical question is whether the...

Growing up as the eldest daughter in a family of three girls and three boys in Nairobi, Kenya, Becky Ndung’u and all her siblings attended school, which is mandatory for children ages six through 14. Her parents—both farmers and her father also a lifelong government accountant—were committed to providing all their children a good education. Her education began in a public school, followed by a private high school. Our conversation was conducted in English, but Ndung’u is also fluent in her...