Pimp My Village Stories- Kanja 1

Kanja Waithira started the Normal Difference Mind Health Project in 2008 in Kenya, but the organization is also active in The Netherlands.

Kanja:” I came from a community where there was little information and support about mental well-being. Due to lack of this information, people with mental health issues were treated unfairly. Mental health issues were stigmatized and people had to survive on their own because they were ostracized by the community.” 

Kanja found that a lot of people with mental health problems were ridiculed, ignored or driven away. Because of these experiences, many people with mental symptoms decided to suffer in solitude. They were afraid of the stigma that came with it.

Kanja:” We had a community that underwent an inner struggle and was afraid to express itself. This caused people to withdraw, become aggressive or abuse alcohol and drugs excessively. This became a trigger for violence and crime. This whole situation had a great impact on the mental well-being of our community.”

Kanja: “Our main goal is to promote people's mental health to the fullest through sports, arts, advocacy, educational programs and community empowerment projects. Our vision is to create communities where people are mentally healthy and live in a stigma-free community. In doing so, we advocate that each individual be valued based on his or her own differences.'

In the next Pimp My Village Story will will see what Kanja is working on now and get to know the community!

More info: www.normal-difference.org