Support Boys and Men's Mental Health Conversations

May and June this year, witnessed a wave of student strikes, protests and dormitory fires, in hundreds of public secondary schools. In an effort to contain the mayhem, the government closed schools and arrested suspected ringleaders.One of the most traumatizing incidents, was the death of 18students and 27 injured (and still counting) in a girls’ boarding school as reported by Kenya Red Cross reports. Cue, another government led commission.  

Ouma, Mwangi, Asha and a hundred plus other children shared some of their frustrations of feeling mostly unseen and unheard, through our football-led talks, walks and experiential learning. Past commissions confirmed that learners’ anxiety, depression and other mental health disorders, tend to be   dismissed as bad behavior, rebellion, or rudeness by authority figures, policy makers and school administration. Fear of examination failure was another catalyst for destruction. The shame associated with perceived academic failure, extends beyond the learner and affects the family/caregivers and schools. We encouraged them to acknowledge their emotions and to reach out, to a trusted person for help, when they felt overwhelmed.

Kenya like other African countries, does not have children’s mental health as a priority. Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)- KENYA NATIONAL ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH SURVEY report, highlighted that… little is known about the prevalence of mental disorders among Kenyan adolescents. The lack of evidence inhibits policymakers, practitioners, and researchers from appropriately targeting mental health interventions…. Adolescence mental disorders, particularly those that remain untreated or under-treated, have adverse outcomes throughout the lives of these children as adults.