The short answer, I love telling stories. The long answer, I want to change the face of mental health in Uganda and Africa at large. When I had my first encounter with depression, there was no applicable solution on the internet; everything I came across did not align with my financial, cultural or societal reality. Additionally, (in my opinion) the sad grey tone in which mental health is presented reinforces the idea that your life is over after a diagnosis; and that is far from my reality!
Despite the fact that I have had better days, my life is not defined by a few depressive episodes and that is because I actively prioritize my mental wellbeing. I hope to show my audience how they can Keep On Living in spite of depression.
So I did my dissertation on Community beliefs and perspectives about mental illness, in a bid to better understand the attitudes people held around mental wellness and help seeking. Contrary to my hypothesis, majority of the respondents were aware that they needed help, but did not know where to start from. There was also a subtle shame following the admittance of feeling unwell or having family members with mental illnesses.
In light of the above, coupled with a little encouragement from my aunty, I started blogging in January 2020. Titled “Keep On Living”, the major objective of my blog was to demystify mental health, encourage help seeking and share applicable tips through relatable stories with inferences from my life. However, my written content was not being received with the enthusiasm I anticipated. Rather than give life and color to the mental health phenomenon, I was exposing myself to unwarranted pity and concern. Turns out, the melancholic diction of my writings was more discouraging than encouraging.
As a result, I deleted the first blog and started a new information centric one in March 2022. To add to that, I started speaking more on the topic at various Rotaract meetings and whenever I was invited to. I am presently growing my Instagram audience with food, wellness and lifestyle content, in the hope that adding more personality to my message will support the objective — changing the face of mental health.
For majority of college aged individuals, the internet is the first place we search when curious or in need of a solution. The possibility that my content will some day turn up in a google search when a youthful Ugandan is looking to improve their mental health inspires me daily!
All this to say, my ability to research, effectively communicate and share my experiences on a widely misunderstood topic like mental health is reason and inspiration enough for me to create content, I hope you come to the same conclusion.
Keep On Living🌻
