Not All Wounds are Visible!

Before learning about Healing Invisible Wounds, I often felt isolated and overwhelmed by my own struggles with mental health issues. I battled with anxiety and depression, struggling to find the right support and feeling ashamed to talk openly about my struggles. It was a lonely journey and I yearned for understanding and connection. Being involved with the initiative has been nothing short of life-changing. It provided a safe and inclusive space for open dialogue, where I could share my struggles without fear of judgment. Attending physical activities such as Psychosocial Camps and Trails for Mental Health allowed me to connect with others who understood these issues, fostering a sense of belonging and empathy that I had been missing for so long. I gained immeasurable benefits from the involvement. I can say I possess a strong sense of self-awareness and emotional resilience. I have learned lots of techniques for managing stress and anxiety, which have a great impact on my daily life. SHIW has connected me with a network of supportive individuals who continue to inspire and motivate me. I no longer feel alone in my struggles, and I am more confident in seeking help when I need it.

Five years ago, when I first walked into the room for the Psychological First Aid (PFA) training organised by the Healing Invisible Wounds (SHIW) team for their first cohort of Mental Health Ambassadors, I had no idea that my life was about to take a completely new direction. I was there to learn about Psychological First Aid, but what I didn’t expect was that I would also be learning how to heal myself. At the time, I was silently fighting my own battles that I didn’t yet know how to name. Mental health was something I tiptoed around, partly because of the myths I had grown up hearing, and partly because I believed that struggling automatically meant being “weak as a man.”
Through SHIW, I began to understand mental health in a deeper, more compassionate way. I learned how to offer psychosocial support to my peers, how to listen without judgment, and how to recognize the signs of distress. It was in that same training that the myths I carried for years slowly melted away, replaced by knowledge, awareness, and the realization that mental health challenges are not a personal failure, they are a human experience. When I received my certification as a Mental Health First Aider, it felt like more than just a certificate. It was a reminder that I had transformed pain into purpose. My interest didn’t stop at that first training. SHIW had lit a fire in me. I became hungry for more knowledge and a deeper understanding of mental health. That journey eventually led me to pursue further courses, and today, I am proud to say that I am a certified counsellor and a passionate mental health advocate. I often look back and smile at how a single opportunity planted a seed that has now grown into a lifelong mission.
My own teenage experience, marked with confusion, pressure, and lack of safe spaces, ignited a passion to create something for young people. I wanted to give teenagers what I wished I had at their age: a place to breathe, to feel understood, to learn about emotional health, and to find support. With the encouragement of the SHIW team, I fronted a concept for a program targeting teens. That idea blossomed into Kiota Teens, a safe nest (true to its name) where adolescents explore topics like masculinity, emotions, identity, friendships, pressures, and everything in between. I have had the honour of being part of all three editions so far, watching the program grow wings and touch the lives of teenagers across different schools. Every smile restored, every story shared, and every moment of clarity that a young person gains reminds me why this work matters.
I have grown with this initiative, personally and professionally, and I have watched it become a beacon of hope for so many people.I am grateful for the spaces SHIW has created, the lives it has touched, and the hope it continues to spread. I am especially excited as the team expands its work across borders, reaching even more communities and restoring smiles where they had faded.