GIVING DIGEST | Mental Health Clubs Changing Lives in Ugandan Schools
When silence is broken, healing begins.
Across Uganda, student-led mental health clubs are becoming safe havens for young people like Joshua Waswa, whose wheelchair made him feel invisible, until a school club gave him the space to be heard, seen, and supported. Backed by SOS Children’s Villages and Mental Health Uganda, these clubs are redefining what it means to give in schools: giving voice, giving peer support, and giving space to be human.
Through poetry, storytelling, and peer mentorship, students are not just receiving care, they’re leading the charge to destigmatize mental health. Teachers are healing too, classrooms are softening, and a new culture is taking root, one where empathy is as important as excellence. This is what giving looks like when courage meets community.
🧠 When students give each other safety, the whole system learns to breathe.
Source: Daily Monitor, April 28, 2025 – “Mental Health Clubs: The Game Changer in Schools” by Daphine Nakabiri