Despite having a Mental Health Act in Kenya, and a developing healthcare system that seeks to have a deliberate focus on Mental wellness, there are still several more people suffering in silence because of the stigma that surrounds Mental Wellness keeping them from accessing the care that they so desperately deserve.While one in every five people suffer from Mental Illness, my advocacy and appeal majorly target the four out of every five that need to understand how to be there for the one who needs our love and proper medical care. This has started to become a reality and can be seen in acts of Kenyans such as Wanja, a lady who stepped in to help her childhood friend Patrick who was a victim of depression and eventually got into the destructive use of drugs.
My name is Sharon Obara,Miss World Kenya 2021/2022 and my Beauty with a Purpose Project is Destigmatizing access to Mental Healthcare.
Growing up, I have watched as individuals who struggle with their mental health get ostracized and treated as though they are not human.
This fuelled my passion to pursue psychology to not only understand human behaviour but also various issues in and around Mental Health.
Throughout my psychology pursuit, I started working with the most vulnerable group in the society and that is the Children - specifically those who suffer from psychological and cognitive disorders such as Down's Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy. These Children are at the highest risk of developing Mental Health disorders as well because they grow up internalizing that they are different based on the treatment that they receive from those around them. From other children who don't have information on Mental wellness, they face rejection on the playground and other areas. Some even face cruel treatment from their own parents who struggle to understand how to cater to their needs. With the Miss World Kenya platform, I have managed to expand my initiative to destigmatize access to mental healthcare to target everyone and not just the children to ensure that conversations around mental wellness get normalized.
I have seen massive positive response as a result of partnering with various entities.
1. The Public - They have gotten behind my initiative to help spread the correct information about the importance wellness and centres of care acroos the country.
2. Chiromo Hospital Group - One of the leading mental healthcare facilities has partnered with me to demystify what mental healthcare entails.
3. The Kenyan Government - Through various government offices and particularly that of the Ministry of Public Affairs, Youth and Gender and the Ministry of Health, I have been able to expand my reach countrywide as I work towards ensuring that we attain Mental wellness.
