Africans For Mental Health in Action

Africans for Mental Health (AFMH) warmly invites you to join us for a thoughtful and inclusive in-person conversation in Kenya, under our Behavioral Health Education Program, part of the I Am Africans for Mental Health Initiative.

AFMH began the Conversation Series, Fireside Chats, and Mindfulness Sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic as virtual spaces for connection, mental health education, and stigma reduction across Africa and the diaspora. These conversations were designed to create spaces where individuals with lived experiences, family caregivers, adults, mental health providers, advocates and community members could learn, listen, and find pathways to support. 

We are deeply honored to now bring these conversations to Kenya, creating an in-person space for shared learning, lived experience leadership, and intergenerational dialogue — face to face. 

Date: Saturday, February 21, 2026
Event Program: 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Artcaffé – Britam Towers, Upperhill, Nairobi, Kenya

Schedule 

10:30 –10:45 AM: Check-In & Networking

11:00 AM: Welcome & Opening Remarks

11:15 AM: Session 1: Understanding Kenya’s Mental Health System (Panel)

1:15 PM: Session 2: Centering Lived Experience (Guided Community Reflection)

2:30 PM: Closing Reflections & Close Out 

This opening panel explores how mental health care is delivered across Kenya’s public and private health systems, and how people move through care — from crisis to long-term support.

Moderator:
Joanne Awuor Oport, MPA

Founder & CEO

Africans for Mental Health

Panelists:

Dr. Victoria Wamukhoma
Head of Clinical Services and Psychiatrist
Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital

Ms. Gathoni Mbugua
Head of Digital Relations, Chiromo Hospital Group

Clinical Psychologist in Charge, AAR Hospital

Dr. Rajab M. Saddam
Consultant Psychiatrist, Kenyatta National Hospital
CME Coordinator, Kenya Psychiatric Association

Dr. Prashna Shah
Consultant Psychologist and Trauma Specialist

Mental Health Thought Leader

M.P. Shah Hospital

Session 1 will explore public and private care pathways, workforce realities, access challenges, continuity of care, and opportunities for collaboration across systems.

Building on Session 1, this session centers the voices of individuals and family caregivers living with mental health and substance use challenges, recognizing lived experience as essential knowledge.

Session 2 is a guided, activity-based community conversation that encourages reflection and shared learning across all participants, including individuals, caregivers, and community members who may experience stigma or prefer not to share personal details.

This session will focus on:

• Personal experiences navigating Kenya’s mental health system
• The realities of caregiving and family support 
• Barriers to access, stigma, and continuity of care 
• What individuals and caregivers believe needs to change to improve mental health care and support
   

Participation is encouraged but always voluntary. This is not a clinical or counseling space.

This conversation is intentionally designed to be intergenerational, inclusive, and community-centered, welcoming people at every stage of life: 

• Individuals living with mental health or substance use challenges
• Family caregivers, including parents, grandparents, and extended family members
• Community members seeking to understand mental health and reduce stigma
• Community-based organizations and mental health advocates
• Students and emerging professionals
• Health system leaders and policymakers

No prior knowledge is required — only openness to learn, listen, and engage with respect.

At Africans for Mental Health, we believe that strengthening mental health care requires systems-level insight, lived experience leadership, and intergenerational community listening — held together with care and respect. Sharing is always voluntary. Emotional wellbeing and dignity are prioritized throughout the program.

We look forward to welcoming you to a meaningful, inclusive, and empowering conversation on mental health in Kenya.

Founded in 2017, AFMH is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking the stigma of mental illness in the African global community. AFMH promotes mental health awareness, substance use and abuse prevention, and suicide risk reduction through education, advocacy, and community-centered conversations across Africa and the diaspora.

For questions, partnerships, media inquiries, or to learn more about Africans for Mental Health and our programs, please contact us at advocacy@africansformentalhealth.org

Stay connected and engaged via LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | BlueSky | WhatsApp Channel.  Our hashtag is #iamafricansformentalhealth 

Join us as we continue building stigma-free, supportive spaces for mental health conversations across Africa and the African diaspora.