Sambasports Youth Trust celebrated 200 weeks of mental wellness programming on Tuesday evening, in an event dubbed the “Bicentenary of Wellness,” marking the success of its virtual mental health sessions.
The event brought together psychologists, community members, government officials, educationists and people with live experience , who shared how the trust’s healing sessions have shaped their day-to-day lives.
Mohammed Mwachausa, Executive Director of Sambasports Youth Trust, said the sessions have covered a wide range of topics, including relationships, the pressures young people face heading into university and how people living with conditions such as HIV and cancer can maintain a positive outlook as well as drugs and substance abuse.
On the rising number of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) cases, Mwachausa said, “Though we have covered SGBV, we will do more , it remains on our list of topics to address going forward.”
Gracing the celebrations, Kwale County Deputy County Commissioner Frida Kawera commended Sambasports Youth Trust and urged Kwale residents to seek help whenever they face challenges.
Kawera linked the rise in SGBV cases to untreated mental health struggles and called on men in particular to break their silence.
“It’s okay for men to cry , crying is not a weakness. Women cry and still carry on with their duties, so men who have stayed silent, it’s time to open up and find solutions,” Kawera said.
The Deputy County Commissioner also attributed the ongoing wave of school arson cases to unaddressed mental health issues, noting that many affected students come from broken homes and carry stress from family problems into school, where it erupts into destructive behavior.
Anisa Menza, a trauma healing consultant, urged parents to reconsider how they raise their children, saying the root cause of trauma in young people often lies in their upbringing. She added that it is important for parents to know their children well so they can guide them from an early age.
“It’s unfortunate that some parents don’t know what their children do or who they interact with. It’s important for parents to cooperate in raising their children,” Anisa said.
Other speakers, including psychologist Triza Ireri, echoed the call for early trauma counseling before issues escalate.
Nsema Hoka, now director of Wahapahapa Waste Management, was among the first cohort of youths to go through the trust’s trauma healing program. After completing the sessions, she was employed as an office assistant before earning the Fazil Chinoy Fellowship. She now manages members of her community-based organization while securing additional grants for the group.
“If it were not for Sambasports, I may not be here , I had given up on life. But I believe God’s timing is the best,” Hoka said.
For Nancy Wambura, now a teacher in Somaliland, the trauma healing sessions became a turning point , though she initially didn’t realize she needed help.
Mwanaisha Kuwania, Head of Special Programmes at Sambasports Youth Trust and a mental health advocate, urged young people to check in on their mental wellness before problems escalate.
The celebrations closed with a display of cultural attire from the Maasai, Mijikenda, Bajuni, and Swahili communities, reflecting the diversity of the people the trust serves.
