As narrated by the PFA Supervisor in Bondeni area Bittah Adhiambo.

“Our intervention area has seen a significant rise in awareness of mental health and other emerging health-related issues, thanks to our successful quarterly community dialogue sessions.

This initiative is held across the ward;on this day, we were in the underserved area of Kanyon.

This collaborative initiative involves all community stakeholders, including the Chief, Nyumba Kumi representatives, and religious leaders.

After the activity, I received a call from a community member who wanted me to assist one of her neighbors who was in an abusive relationship and had resorted to the consumption of alcohol as a remedy. The lady had three children aged 12,7 and 1.5 years.

From the call, the neighbor said that she exhibited some of the signs I had described from the Community dialogue session as signs of someone having Mental Health issues.

I went to the area and sought an audience with the lady. I was accompanied by a Children's Welfare Officer who rescued the children.

During the brief interaction, she acknowledged me and said she usually sees me at the health facility.

She described her situation as evenings blurred into a haze of bottles and broken memories, each sips a desperate attempt to drown the anguish that had become her constant companion.

The shouting, the accusations, the bruises—both visible and unseen—echoed in her mind like a relentless storm. She sought refuge in the amber liquid, hoping it would numb the sting of her husband's cruelty and the weight of her shattered dreams.

But as the alcohol burned her throat, it left a hollow ache in its wake, a fleeting reprieve that gave way to more profound despair.

Her home, once a sanctuary, had become a prison of fear and pain. She drank to silence the voice that whispered she deserved better, to muffle the cries of her children who bore witness to the chaos. She was a shadow of the vibrant person she used to be.

Each night, the bottle became her confidant, escape, and undoing.

Yet, even in the depths of her addiction, a flicker of longing remained—a yearning for peace, for safety, for a life where her laughter was not stifled by shame. She knew the alcohol was not a remedy but a chain binding her closer to the darkness she wished to flee.

But in her quiet moments, when the house was still, and the chaos momentarily ceased, she dreamed of breaking free, rediscovering her strength, and reclaiming the life she once believed was possible.

She also agreed to a later PFA session. After my sessions, I referred the case to a PM+ Helper in our intervention area.

She embraced her and walked the recovery journey with her.

I was in my office recently, and the lady came, very joyful and vibrant.

She was now selling fruits as her income-generating activity, and she jokingly told me, "Daktari usiponunua matunda nauza nitarudi kwa pombe” loosely translates to “Doctor, if you don't buy fruits from me, I will return to alcohol dens."

We laughed at that as I assisted her with a glass of water.

I reflected on her recovery journey.

Once trapped in a cycle of despair, she had turned to alcohol as her escape, her solace from the storm of domestic violence that raged within her home.

But today, as the sun illuminates her vibrant fruit bucket, she stands transformed—a beacon of resilience and hope, a living testament to the power of community support in Mental Health recovery.

Her hands, once trembling with the weight of her struggles, now move with purpose as she arranges ripe mangoes, glistening oranges, and fragrant pineapples.

Her radiant and genuine smile reflects a soul that has reclaimed its light, directly resulting from the compassionate support she received through the PM+ intervention.

She learned to confront her pain, heal her wounds, and rebuild her life brick by brick.

The fruit bucket is more than just a business—it's a testament to her journey. Each piece of fruit tells a story of renewal, the colors mirroring the vibrancy she has rediscovered within herself.

Customers are drawn not just to her produce but also to her energy, warmth, and determination. She no longer hides behind the shadow of her past.

Still, she proudly stands as a living example of how strength, support, and self-belief, fostered by our community, can turn even the deepest scars into a beautiful mosaic of triumph.

I am proud that the Community is slowly doing away with stereotyping of Mental Health issues, and I am also thankful to MIDRIFT HURINET for the training on PFA, which, in a big way, has relieved me of a more significant load on my shoulders.

Your support has been invaluable and deeply appreciated.

Previously, I would try to solve all Community Mental Health issues alone, and sometimes it left me exhausted, bitter, and angry.

I am now more aware of existing referral networks from other stakeholders, and we now have a psychologist at our Bondeni Maternity, which is also a referral point.

The Chief and Nyumba Kumi committees have also been instrumental in raising awareness of Mental Health issues after our community dialogues, and these have also been impactful.”

  By:Jacob Karani