My passion for mental health and supporting adolescents began in my mid-teens, a time when young people experience complex physical, emotional, and social changes. As I worked closely with adolescents, I developed essential skills like active listening, which helped create a non-judgmental space for them to share their thoughts and feelings.

My journey into mental health advocacy began in 2018 while working as a community facilitator for the Youth Inclusion Program, a project funded by Mastercard Foundation and Heifer International. Engaging with young people in the field, I witnessed firsthand the challenges they faced with mental health.

In my second year of university, we were studying relationship theories, and I had a revelation: it became clear why I was often in unhealthy romantic relationships and why I shared certain dynamics with my parents. This insight sparked a journey of self-discovery, encouraging me to explore my behaviours and emotions in pursuit of a healthier life.

Since 2017, I have developed a passion for understanding the human mind, emotions, and behaviour. In 2019, I was diagnosed with anxiety disorder, depression, and schizophrenia. It was a dark period for me, but as I began to recover, I promised myself that I would use my personal story and experience with mental illness to raise awareness and support those who are struggling in silence.

Sometimes, life’s greatest challenges reveal our true purpose. Years ago, I watched friends, colleagues, and family members struggle with mental health conditions in various forms. The ordeal of finding proper care—over 200 km away, with few mental health professionals and high treatment costs—exposed me to a widespread issue that many face in silence.

In 2020, while implementing a Key Populations Investment Fund project under PEPFAR, we observed a worrying trend: an increasing number of key populations and young people on ART were discontinuing their HIV services. During a Data Quality Assurance exercise, we connected with healthcare providers and recipients across various health facilities who reported issues with medication, self-denial, and a lack of accessible, friendly services for key populations and youth.

We asked our members to share their journeys and experiences in mental health advocacy, exploring what inspired them to take action, the work they are currently doing, and the lessons they've learned along the way. Here are their compelling stories that highlight their commitment to raising awareness, supporting their communities, and transforming mental health care for those in need.

We asked our members to share their journeys and experiences in mental health advocacy, exploring what inspired them to take action, the work they are currently doing, and the lessons they've learned along the way. Here are their compelling stories that highlight their commitment to raising awareness, supporting their communities, and transforming mental health care for those in need.

We asked our members to share their journeys and experiences in mental health advocacy, exploring what inspired them to take action, the work they are currently doing, and the lessons they've learned along the way. Here are their compelling stories that highlight their commitment to raising awareness, supporting their communities, and transforming mental health care for those in need.

We asked our members to share their journeys and experiences in mental health advocacy, exploring what inspired them to take action, the work they are currently doing, and the lessons they've learned along the way. Here are their compelling stories that highlight their commitment to raising awareness, supporting their communities, and transforming mental health care for those in need.

We asked our members to share their journeys and experiences in mental health advocacy, exploring what inspired them to take action, the work they are currently doing, and the lessons they've learned along the way. Here are their compelling stories that highlight their commitment to raising awareness, supporting their communities, and transforming mental health care for those in need.

As we mark World Suicide Prevention Day, we’re turning the spotlight on young voices making waves in mental health advocacy. Matt, Mad activist-academic currently undertaking their PhD at the University of Sydney within the Centre for Disability Research and Policy mapping the consumer, survivor, ex-patient and inmate, and Mad movement globally. Also, founder of the Australian Centre for Lived Experience (TACFLE), Matt works tirelessly to amplify the voices of those affected by mental health challenges.

In this Q&A, we chat with passionate mental health advocate Thomas,  who is at the forefront  of promoting mental well-being for young people in Kenya. Through the Better Me Kenya Network, Thomas is breaking down stigma, raising awareness of mental health solutions, and providing crucial support to young people in need. 

As we mark International Youth Day, we’re turning the spotlight on young voices making waves in mental health advocacy. In this Q&A, we chat with passionate advocate, Miriam, who is at the forefront of promoting mental well-being for teens in Kampala, Uganda.. Through the ENLIGHTEENS program, Miriam is helping to break down stigma, raising awareness of mental health solutions, and providing crucial support to teenagers and young mothers in need.

Hi everyone, I hope you are all well. I'm Professor Ahmed Hankir, a consultant psychiatrist in Canada and an honorary visiting professor at the School of Medicine in Cardiff University in the UK. I identify as a wounded healer. As I said, I'm a consultant psychiatrist, a mental health care provider, and also a mental health care receiver. I was a psychiatric patient. I am a person living with a mental health condition, a survivor, and that, of course, is nothing to be ashamed about.

I am Judy Karuki, a passionate mental health advocate from Kenya. My dedication to the mental health cause is rooted in my personal experiences with depression and anxiety, as well as a deep understanding of the harmful effects of stigma and discrimination on those seeking help.

 Hello, everyone. My name is Nanabanyin Anamuah Mensah, Founder and Executive Director of TrueCompanion in Ghana. TrueCompanion is here to improve access and inclusion in mental health interventions and to build collective community resilience.

We do this by promoting opportunities to support, connect and nurture youth in climate change and mental health by lobbying, mentoring, networking and developing capacities of youth to lead community-led, sustainable solutions.

Hi, my name is Abdullah Al Harun from Bangladesh. I am working with ADD International as the Project Manager of the community-based mental health project for children and young people in marginalised communities. ADD International is a participatory grant-maker for disability justice. Our vision is for a world in which ableism no longer exists and in which persons with disabilities can access their whole rights and experience justice.

Hi, I'm Pradeep. I witnessed several events that affected mental health on a large scale during my childhood. I grew up in the middle of Sri Lanka's three-decade-long civil war. It was a period marked by profound grief and trauma that left no corner of our nation untouched.

Hi, my name is Ahmad Nisar. I am an activist from Afghanistan, but I am currently based in Melbourne, Australia. My mental health has always been a priority for me. Yet, it is not in a dynamic state all the time, and requires genuine efforts to be stabilised.

I was first exposed to mental health in school because of multiple factors. As I kept moving on in life, I realised the importance of good mental health for all functionality, quality of life and contentment.