Changing the conversation around mental health at work — from silence and shame to openness and support.
In Kenya — as in many countries — admitting to mental health struggles at work is still seen as weakness. People suffer in silence rather than risk being labelled, sidelined, or fired. This silence allows problems to compound until they become crises.
Workplace Wellness Africa works to change this narrative through grassroots awareness campaigns that reach factory floors, market stalls, offices, and informal settlements — meeting people where they are and in the language they speak.
The most powerful tool against stigma is simple: hearing someone else say "me too." We create spaces — both online and in communities — where people can share their experiences with workplace stress, burnout, and mental health challenges without judgement.
When a manager says "I struggled with anxiety," the stigma for everyone below them starts to dissolve.
Many Kenyan workers — especially those in informal employment, domestic work, and casual labour — don't know their existing rights under the Employment Act. We work to spread awareness about what workers are already entitled to and what protections exist.
Stigma is deepest in communities with the least access to information. Our grassroots campaigns take mental health education into markets, churches, community centres, and schools — using local languages and culturally relevant examples to make the information accessible.
Kenya's "grind" mentality glorifies overwork and treats rest as laziness. We advocate for a more honest conversation about the cost of this culture — the burnout, the broken families, the health crises that follow years of unsustainable pressure.
Have you navigated mental health challenges at work? Sharing your experience — even anonymously — can help someone else feel less alone. Every story chips away at the stigma.