One of the targets of the third Sustainable Development Goal on Good Health and Wellbeing is focused on promoting mental health and wellbeing by 2030. In Kenya, however, the burden of mental health is high due to illness, psychosocial disability, and massive healthcare access gaps. In these systemic challenges, Amina Abdallah Mohammed, a mental well-being advocate from Mombasa County, is doing her part to guarantee the welfare of Kenyans living with mental conditions. 

Becoming a Mental Wellbeing Advocate 

Amina, the founder and chairperson of Mombasa Women Empowerment for Mental Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre entered the mental wellbeing space advertently. In 2010, on her way to work, Amina stumbled upon a naked 22-year-old girl by the road being humiliated by onlookers and empathised with her. Afterwards, she took her to a hospital for rehabilitation. Six months later, she was in good health and Amina reunited her with her family. Empowered, the girl opened a food business to support herself and her family. 

The girl’s lively rebound to wellness moved Amina greatly. In fact, she resolved to devote her time and resources to changing the lives of people with mental illness. She would pick individuals from the street, introduce them to rehabilitation and see to it that their lives resumed normalcy. 

This mission experienced a paradigm shift in 2020 when COVID-19 broke out. The measures put in place to curb the spread of the virus were severe on street families and exposed them to a great risk of contracting the virus. Immediate action to protect them was crucial. 

Taking a Stand

Amina wanted to do her part in these trying times and asked the County Government of Mombasa to allot some schools to her. She also requested for a few doctors to be assigned to the schools so she could take care of street families. Her request was successful and she was allocated Kenya Coast National Polytechnic where she founded a home for over 50 patients. 

Only three months of stay at the school had passed when Amina received a letter from the county. It asked her to move the initiative out of the institution. The timing couldn’t have been worse. Amina couldn’t let the patients go when their rehabilitation had just picked pace. She moved with speed, found a gated maisonette house with a servant’s quarter at Shanzu, rented it and moved her patients to their new home. 

Encountering Mental Health Stigma 

You would think that Amina’s mind would rest after finding a serene home for her patients. But that wasn’t the case. Three days into settling in, societal stigmas reared their ugly heads. Neighbours complained that they didn’t want people with mental illness near their luxurious residences. Amina didn’t budge following this complaint, which aggravated the neighbours. They protested while threatening to raze Amina’s home down and force the initiative out of the neighbourhood. Luckily, the police came to her rescue, and she stayed put at the flat. 

The neighbours went a notch higher to file a lawsuit against Amina. The court gave Amina two months to vacate, which meant she was on the move, again. At this point, she was short of options and only left with heavy pondering and manifestation for a solution. 

The Establishment of Mombasa Women Empowerment for Mental Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre 

While bracing through this stormy period, a lighthouse appeared in sight. Amina found an isolated piece of land for sale at Miritini. She leapt at this chance, purchased the land and hastened construction. Donations of building materials from family and well-wishers helped set up dorms in three weeks. Subsequently, in November 2020, she moved to their new home: Mombasa Women Empowerment for Mental Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre. 

Amina then pooled resources together and gradually developed the centre into a full-blown multi-utility centre with a home, a college, a hospital and a religious facility: one of its kind in the entire country. 

The Rehabilitation Process 

The rehabilitation of patients at the centre – which takes about six months to an entire year – is well-defined and highly elaborate. A patient is first taken to the hospital where they are admitted, and their personal hygiene taken care of. Depending on the diagnosis, they may be prescribed medication to alleviate both physical and mental ailments. After this, they’re counselled and monitored closely to their full recovery. 

Upon full recovery, patients are taught technical skills such as baking, hairdressing and beauty, carpentry, welding, agriculture, and animal husbandry. The centre even goes a step further to apply for jobs on their behalf. After all, they understand them better than anyone ever could. This intervention also shields the patients from the stigma associated with mental illness in society. 

As a result, patients leave the facility as changed individuals. The centre facilitates their reunion with family or guardians for those who can remember their details. To assist former patients in acclimatising to their daily lives, family and guardians are counselled on how to relate with the individuals to ensure their wellbeing through and through.  

Still, this isn’t always the script for all individuals. As of 2023,  20 patients don’t remember any details of their families and will remain in the facility.  

Garnering Support  

Amina’s role in the lives of many who are undermined and forgotten is resource-intensive and requires unwavering support. But three years in, this Community-Based Organisation is only supported by Amina, her family, friends and well-wishers. Her hope is to find a sponsor or partner who will support their work even beyond Mombasa County. 

Indeed, Amina’s work is revolutionary and demanding of skilled personnel to keep cruising. To meet this high standard of care, Amina has sourced personnel inclusive of trainers, doctors and counselling psychologists to provide quality training and healthcare for the patients. On top of this, she runs the centre with unblemished empathy, compassion, and knowledge from previous leadership experience at women empowerment groups.

Looking back, her act of kindness in 2010 unfolded into a story of dedication to the course of humanity and a mission to make the world a healthier place. Despite the stigma and resource hurdles, she is determined to see the realisation of the global objective of ensuring healthy lives and promoting mental well-being. She’s an SDG heroine and one of #OurGoalGetters!