As Homosexuality, Female Genital Mutilation, Albinism, Mental Health happens to be one of those issues considered still a taboo in 2014 in many countries across the African Continent. Mental Health has always been considered, without geographical distinction, something to be scared about and people with symptoms of mental illness, up to not long time ago, used to be segregated being considered an harm for the entire society.
I started becoming interested in mental health across Africa thank's to Sitawa Wafula, an amazing woman I had the fortune to stumble upon who is a full time activist committed, a real frontrunner,in promoting awareness on mental health in her country, Kenya, and throughout Africa.
I started becoming interested in mental health across Africa thank's to Sitawa Wafula, an amazing woman I had the fortune to stumble upon who is a full time activist committed, a real frontrunner,in promoting awareness on mental health in her country, Kenya, and throughout Africa.
To have a rough idea on how Kenya deals with mental health it's necessary to weigh the recent statistics. Numbers speak alone. According to Doctor Wambui Waithaka (co-founder of the Kenya Medical Practioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union) the percentage of people suffering from mental disorder in Kenya is around 10/15% of the population and to support them there are only 79 psychiatrics operating in the whole country. In addition we should consider a whole series of elements for example the total absence of Mental Health Policy in Kenya, the few infrastructures, few staff, little financing by the government, little information, outdated policy framework and least but not last the stigma. Kenya urgently needs a change concerning Mental Health issues and thank's to the action of people like Sitawa Wafula, who works everyday to educate people on mental illness, we are sure to undertake a new path for a radical change.
Sitawa Wafula had a brillant 2013 being awarded with the East African Youth Philantropy Award and Activist of the Year Award; having attended the 1st Mental Health Conference (out of the World Mental Health Month) in Ghana as a speaker and started her 1%Club to raise funds for her hotline dedicated to all those who need information about mental health and for those who need to feel they are not alone and that there are ways to re-identify themselves even with a mental diagnosis.
SITAWA WAFULA - In 2008 when I started documenting my daily personal experiences, as a
rape survivor and living with a dual diagnosis of epilepsy and bipolar, on my
blog and
that was the beginning of my journey as a mental health and epilepsy crusader.
VALENTINA ACAVA MMAKA- What's the state of mental health in
Kenya nowadays?
SITAWA WAFULA - There
is positive head way with different organizations coming up to bridge the gap
left by the government especially in areas of policy, research and the
introduction of community mental health and establishment of support systems.
There is still alot to be done especially by the main stakeholder which is the
goverment but we are heading to the right direction.
VALENTINA ACAVA MMAKA
- What is the committemet of the
governament on this issue?
SITAWA WAFULA - There has
been loads of talk and little to no action, some government representation at
the Mental Health Policy Review meetings but no clear guideline as to when we will
eventually have a mental health bill. Currently there is confusion of whether
the Division of mental health has been scraped off and what the way forward is,
also the budget allocated to mental health is still minimal and ignorance
levels at a high. In a nut shell, the government needs to up its game.
VALENTINA ACAVA MMAKA
- You've been recently awared with the
Youth Philantropy Award 2013 and Activist of the Year 2013. A part from personal satisfaction, what does it mean to receive such awards? Did it change something
in your way of being an activist? If yes, in what?
SITAWA WAFULA - Recieving these two awards in the space of 5 months is above all a
challenge to me to be bigger and better in the work I do for mental health and
persons with mental health conditions in the country and Africa as a whole.
VALENTINA ACAVA MMAKA
- You were in Ghana where you were on a
panel during the World Mental Health month , what did
you achieve in this occasion and what did you bring to Kenya for your future
work?
SITAWA WAFULA - I was
able to learn more about mental health in Africa and do a comparision between
Ghana and Kenya, and found there is no much difference in the way we handle
mental health and the general public’s view of it is the same, the stigma and
discrimination faced by families and those with mental health conditions is the
same. The only difference is that they have a mental health bill and recently
elected a mental health board. things that in collaboration with mental health
stakeholders here in Kenya, I will continue to champion for.
VALENTINA ACAVA MMAKA
- In many African countries mental
health illness is still a taboo, often associated with witchcraft, sorcery ,
supernatural, evil and psychiatrics and psychiatry is seen as something
diabolic, see the example of Chad. What do you think can help people in loading these prejudices about
mental health?
SITAWA WAFULA -A lot
of investment; time, resources – both human and financial need to be made in
creating awareness about mental health and establishment of support systems
across the continent so as to break the ignorance barrier that leads to the
association of anything mental health with the diabolic.
VALENTINA ACAVA MMAKA
– What are the main causes of mental
health diseases in Kenya and what are the main consequences of it, for example
suicide, alienation from the rest of the society etc...?
SITAWA WAFULA - The causes of mental health in the country are basically the same all
round the world but alcohol and drug/substance abuse are one of the common
causes, the high societal expectations also have a part they play and all these
lead to loads of cases of depression which is closely linked to suicide and
another common illness is schizophrenia.
VALENTINA ACAVA MMAKA
- Let's talk about art and the power of
imagination. You are a poet as well as an activist, or I should say the two
things stand aside. You also perform as a spoken word artist, what does art
have to do with your activism? Do you
believe in art as a tool to humanize the world?
SITAWA WAFULA - Art is
a voice to me, it is through my poetry performances that I have been able to
attract crowds to listen to my rape ordeal and living with epilepsy and
bipolar, it is through art that i have been able to get my initial platforms to
create awareness about mental health and open channels for discussion for
otherwise not talked about channels...so yes, art is a tool to humanize the
world.
VALENTINA ACAVA MMAKA
- Can you explain the project of
onepercentclub and my mind my funk ? How will this hotline be helping people?
SITAWA WAFULA -1% Club
is a crowd funding platform. My mind, my funk is my mental health organization
that aims to bridge the gap of information in mental health by providing
information and appropriate support to those with mental health conditions and
their families. For this to work, I need to generate content and share it and
thats where 1% club comes in; it provides an avenue to raise funds for the work
and which will be used to generate a tool; website, app or hotline for people
to access and share mental health information.
VALENTINA ACAVA MMAKA
- Your experience means a lot to many
people who don't find a way to live with mental illness, what is Sitawa
“secret” to have build such a successful life after desperation and pain?
SITAWA WAFULA -Wow...Sitawa
Secret... that sounds grand...well I am not sure I am done with all the
experimenting but key things I do; Keep God above all things, exercise alot and
eat right, knowning that once you hit the bottom, the only way to go is up and
as long as I am here and I am human, I am entitled to all the rights and
privileges any other human being is entitled to.
VALENTINA ACAVA MMAKA - How would you describe using three adjectives mental illness
in your experience?
SITAWA WAFULA - This is a hard one; I’d say Experimental, Ironic, Life Changing
SITAWA WAFULA - Get my mental health
organization off the ground by doing the pilot projects branding and I aim to
achieve this by forming partnerships:
a) Doing alot more mental health awareness
drives and forming support groups and I aim to achieve this by being out there
with my blog and pushing mental health information through all possible
channels; online, print media, Tv, Radio, Universities, Youth Groups
b) Pushing for mental health policy and
the passing of the Bill and election of the mental health board and i am to
achieve this through collaboration with mental health stakeholders in Kenya.
I'm sure after this chat you'll feel somehow inspired by the strenght and the positiveness of Sitawa Wafula. Her words are really important to understand the urgency to overcome the barriers of prejudices on mental health building a public dialogue, a platform that can enable to dialogue, confront and share experiences. Thank's also to her poetry she reaches poeple's heart delivering a new global consciousness.
Here an interesting Basicneed Fellowship Program. Deadline 5th of February.
Here an interesting Basicneed Fellowship Program. Deadline 5th of February.
Here's Sitawa Wafula poem "A little more"