By Daphne Davies | Volunteer journalist
Thanks to the support of our generous donors, we have been able to continue our vital work in mental health, in a country where it is often stigmatised and neglected. Here’s the latest update from Kamili Organisation.
Kamili is now operating three clinics at Lower Kabate, Kihara and Kangemi throughout the year, serving 9,643 patients, with 2880 new patients enrolled this year. Altogether it has given 16,530 patient consultations, including 13,650 with new patients.
The growing number of patients coming to the Kamili clinics demonstrates how mental health is slowly becoming a recognised disability in Kenya, although in sub-Saharan Africa as a whole, mental health issues are frequently ignored, and 75% of mental health sufferers do not have easy access to mental health care.
We now organise group therapy sessions, which cater for different client groups:
Kamili also offers occupational therapy to improve patients’ skills and self-esteem, and provide vocational training, to help them build a livelihood. Sixty people learnt how to make samosas and Mandazi using ingredients from their gardens, as well as learning how to make detergents and soap. A further 16 women patients learnt the skills of juice-making from seasonal fruits like oranges, mangoes and pineapples. Those who attended these sessions then sold their products in their villages.
We're now getting busy organising the Kamili Family Challenge. This year will be the 10th anniversary and we'll have many special treats for our participants. Check out the link to the video below.
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