Mental wellbeing for young people in Kenya

Hello Friend,

Your donations are helping young people in Kenya be heard and start to heal from the trauma of poverty and exploitation, as they learn skills for employment at our Seed of Hope programme.

Why mental health matters

We are so passionate about providing free one to one counselling and group wellbeing sessions for Seed of Hope students, because we know mental health support is absolutely key to unlocking a young person’s potential. 

We know that, if ignored, trauma and wellbeing issues could derail a student’s learning, by making it difficult to attend or focus in lessons, or by affecting their confidence when they graduate.

In 2025, Seed of Hope had an outstanding 97% completion rate, compared to the 63% sector average! A huge reason for this is the transformational impact of holistic support alongside study, a unique part of the Seed of Hope programme when compared to many other vocational education institutions in Kenya. 

Don’t just take our word for it

By far the greatest indicator of why counselling is so important can be seen in the words of the students and graduates.

For recent Entrepreneurship, Finance and Computer skills (EFC) graduate Thomas (name changed), counselling allowed him to unload the incredible pressure he felt to succeed:

“Since I come from a family where you have to be strong all the time, I never had the space to talk about how I was really doing. I had so much fear of failure, fear of letting my family down, being the first born, and fear that maybe I wasn't good enough…

The counselling sessions were a turning point. For the first time in my life, I was asked, ‘How are you doing so far in life?’ and the question was genuine. 

I started unpacking a lot of emotional baggage such as the grief from my father’s death, the pressure to be the provider, and the feeling that I couldn’t have a college education."

For Elle (name changed), a young mother who graduated this January from her Hair & Beauty Therapy course, counselling provided vital guidance on how to support both herself and her daughter:

“I [learned] how to care for my child without anger, and how to care for myself without guilt. Seed of hope gave me skills but the mental wellness sessions gave me my strength back’’

For Motor Vehicle Mechanics graduate, Jonathan (name changed), counselling was the key to stopping him from turning to substances to cope with his pain:

"The counselling sessions were life-changing. I gained a clear understanding of the consequences of drug abuse on my health, education, and future. I learned practical strategies to manage stress, resist peer pressure, and stay focused. 

Most importantly, counselling restored my confidence and determination to live a drug-free life and take charge of my academic and career goals.“

Thank you for helping young people in Kenya feel less alone!

For more information about why mental health matters, visit our blog on our website.

Every best wish from Keely and the whole Raising Futures team