Awakening Curiosity towards Resilient Communities

I’m deeply grateful to be part of a team of 10 incredible mentors from across the world as part of The Sawa Project . This is a regional mental health initiative led by the Kofi Annan Foundation , MCW Global , and the African Alliance of YMCAs . The project is funded by Wellcome . Investing in young leaders (25-35), the Sawa Project aims to strengthen community-led efforts to improve mental health awareness, services, and policies across Eastern Africa. For the first part of 2026, I’ll be mentoring one of 10 grantee projects, offering guidance on leadership, community engagement, and project management tenets. Sawa is a Swahili word that means “okay,”  or “in agreement.” Across Eastern Africa, it is a word used to affirm understanding, solidarity, and shared resolve. In everyday conversations, sawa signals that we are aligned, and that we are moving forward together. Why Mental Health, Why Now? Mental health conditions account for 16% of the global burden of dise...

Of course, as an unmarried African woman in her debut 30's, I was drawn to the provocative title,  I Will Marry When I Want  (1977), co-written by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and Ngũgĩ wa Mĩriĩ. I went in expecting exactly what the title promised, or at least what I hoped it promised. I was waiting to stumble upon doses of dramatic nuances on reclaiming romantic agency. Better yet, I was looking forward to a grandiose countdown to a rebellious wedding with a journey marked by societal defiance of the choice of a spouse.  But our departed sage, Ngũgĩ, had none of that in mind. So my sincere apologies if you are here anticipating a generous serving of ' tea ' about my own marital rebellion. Stay with me nonetheless; you might just walk away with insights far more unsettling and far more important than wedding bells. Though I am open to that happening soon too ;-) Source: Halfpriced books Instead of a love triangle, I was met with sharp critiques of power, neocolonialism , rel...