𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹:𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲

Recently, I spent one of my Saturdays with Mathare youth, who are members of 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗕𝗢, a grassroots initiative committed to tackling mental health in the informal settlement.

With Kaye and her team from PMWC-Ke (Promoting Mental Wellness in Communities, Kenya), we co-facilitated a session on emotional intelligence, exploring how self-awareness, empathy, and resilience shape our everyday interactions in families, schools, and community spaces.

The conversations were courageous. We spoke about the role of emotional intelligence when engaging with caregivers of children with special needs or supporting individuals struggling with drug addiction. We also surfaced harder realities, such as coping with secondary trauma when walking alongside community members who have been evicted from their homes.

There was light even under the weight of these harsh truths. We danced. We laughed together. Healing, after all, is never only about the difficult work. It is also joy and connection.

I left with a full heart. The 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹 team taught me that community members can spark a transformation no outside expert can prescribe.

Shout out to George and Logedi for organizing such a powerful session, and to Julia Christine Waruguru Kamuiru for your support and presence.

To learn more about the work of 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗕𝗢 and how to support them, reach out to Logedi Luhangala.