The recently launched initiative ‘Storytelling by the fireside’ has positively impacted the youth with mental health education, enabling them to tackle various challenges related to mental health in their day to day life.
The youth initiative is spearheaded by the Little Theatre Club, in Mombasa.
Little Theatre Club Vice Chairperson, Collins Mangicho said the move was triggered by the vast phenomenon of mental health that is silently affecting the youthful generation.
Speaking at the Little Theatre Club in Mombasa on Friday Mr Mangicho, a Storyteller artist, noted that—normally when the mental health topic is discussed—the youth and children are sidelined despite the fact that they are the most affected in today’s life.
According to Mangicho, the youth and children when growing and face mental challenges, they carry with them into their adulthood and at this juncture, the effects are irreparable.
“In these monthly events, we are involving high school students where we discuss and tell stories aiming at instilling information to these young people on mental health,” he said.
He singled out suicide, drugs and substance abuse and crime and illegal outfits the youth join as a result of various mental challenges they face and lack of proper parental guidance.
Poor parenting
His sentiments were backed by Gender and Child rights Officer from a Kwale based nongovernmental organisation, Samba Sports Youth Agenda, Mwanaisha Kuwania.
According to Ms Kuwania, when children are guided to the right path and well informed about various aspects of mental health, they will grow to be responsible people within their own families and in the society as well.
“What we are seeing today our children being involved in many societal evils are as a result of mental challenges which as parents we have for so long ignored,” she said.
The Gender and Child rights activist urged the National government and other stakeholders to involve children and the youth in mental health dialogues not only in the Coast region but also countrywide.
Kuwania said the duration Samba Sports Youth Agenda has been working mostly with the youth at the very grassroots level in Kwale County, has revealed a lot of issues ranging from a huge gap between parents and their children and poor parenting.
“During our engagement with these minors we have realised that they have high potential of becoming whoever they want in life, however, their parents do not take the time to closely monitor, engage and understand them,” she added.
Speaking during the same event, Gender and Youth activist, Fiona Mwangangi blamed parents for relegating their responsibilities, leaving the minors to make their own decisions at a very tender age.
She urged parents to take their responsibilities seriously so that they raise a generation that can demarcate between what is right and wrong.
[Some of the participants in the ‘Storytelling by fireside’ initiative at the Little Thetre Club in Mbaraki, Mombasa. Photo/Ahmed Omar/Oct’ 04, 24].
“As parents we are the cause of our children indulging in drugs and substance abuse, irresponsible sexual behaviours and crime among other social vices. We should embrace proper parenting and guidance to our children,” she noted.
The series of ‘Storytelling by the fireside’ events are conducted monthly at the Little Theatre Club in Mbaraki, Mombasa.
