HEADSPACE254 is an organisation initiated by people in the advertising industry who were concerned about the lack of resources available to those struggling with mental health issues within the creative sector. When we launched the initiative at the Coca-Cola Headquarters in November 2018, we partnered with MENTAL 360 who tailored a brilliant one-day event program comprised of expert panel discussions, lectures, poetry performances and even yoga for around 80 attendees. Their holistic approach, physical spaces, community activities and professional services dovetail perfectly with our purpose of awareness and advocacy. We’ve since formed a strong tie with Bright and his dedicated team and look forward to a long and fruitful partnership working together to improve the quality of life of creative people in Kenya and beyond.

I approached mental 360 for counselling and I was assigned a counselor who has been guiding me in living optimistically. I’m grateful to the team for their efforts and concern and for providing a space for young people to get help, share and learn.

I first attended a mental health discussion organized by Mental360 at Pawa254 and having struggled with anxiety, being in a room filled with different people from different backgrounds talking about the struggles they too had faced made me leave that place stronger knowing that I’m not alone in this fight. I was also able to learn new ways of coping with my anxiety like physical wellness hence why I attended the hike at Karura. We had a great experience where after the hike we had the mental awareness message delivered in poetry by Mizizi Afrika and held candid discussions on mental health directed by psychologists. Mental360 has taught me that ‘it is okay not to be okay’ and it has created a safe space for the youth to express themselves in different ways especially coming from a society that isn’t really aware of mental illnesses and through their platform other youth are able to learn more about mental health and also get help if need be.

Mental360 is doing really important work in helping normalize mental health issues, such as depression in the workplace. These challenges are commonplace and yet people are too reluctant to admit they have challenges and employers struggle to know how to actively engage their team. Bright and his team are thoughtful, constructive and inspiring in addressing this issue.