One person dies every 40 seconds by suicide, meaning 800,000 people every year, around the world, according to a 2019 World Health Organisation report. With 18.7 per 100,000 suicidal deaths, Uganda holds the 17th position in the world. According to the report, risk factors include, experience of loss, loneliness, discrimination, a relationship break-up, financial problems, chronic pain and illness, violence, abuse, and conflict or other humanitarian emergencies.
Meet Elizabeth Kasujja, a certified public health specialist with almost ten years of experience who has made it her life’s mission to raise awareness about mental health.
Kasujja is the founder of Clear Yo Mind, a social enterprise dedicated to raising awareness about mental health in Uganda. Passionate about technology and the power it has to transform the mental health sector; her goal is to set up Uganda’s first national mental health hotline.
Kasujja is also a 2017 Mandela Washington Fellow, 2018 Queen’s Young Leaders Award winner, was recognized and awarded by former US President Barack Obama for her role in promoting conversations surrounding mental health and was part of the 2019 Obama Leaders for Africa program.
In this interview, she discusses her work with Clear Yo Mind, how the social enterprise is navigating through the Covid 19 pandemic, life, among other things.
Please tell us about Clear Yo Mind and the work you do.
At Clear Yo Mind, we raise awareness of mental health issues, with a focus on depression which is silently eating away at our society without regard to age, race, socioeconomic status or any other factors sometimes society pegs it to. We connect people dealing with mental health issues to the professional help they need. We are developing a mobile phone application to further ease the process of getting direct access to the professional. We can be reached online through our brand name clearyomind across all platforms.
When you get a wound on your arm or your knee, your priority is to treat it as soon as possible (physical health); yet we ignore the wounds of our minds – our mental health. Everyone gets worried, anxious, sad or stressed sometimes. But with mental illness, these feelings do not go away and are severe enough to interfere with daily life. The illness can make it hard for one to make and keep friends, hold a job or enjoy life. As a society, we should endeavor to be more empathetic and point people to directions where they can get help. Many mental health issues are treatable and sometimes curable; I encourage people to seek help as soon as possible. I also applaud those who reach out on behalf of their friends and find them the help they need; we need more people like this.
What drives you? How did you find yourself being such a passionate advocate for mental health?
In 2016, life backed me into a corner with stress, anxiety and depression. I couldn’t speak up for fear of stigma, and didn’t know where to find help. I got determined to give mental health a human voice to eradicate stigma, and connect people with mental health issues to professional help.
I’m passionate about mental health because I believe good health makes everything else relevant, so I feel like I get to make a big difference where it matters most. I really care about the positive and sustainable development of my community, my country and our world, and are aware that mentally healthy people are better able to contribute to the development of society. My work at Clear Yo Mind, which is directly under SGD 3, leaves me fulfilled knowing that the work we do today will have a positive ripple effect for generations to come.
What do you think are the central challenges regarding mental health in Uganda? How might such challenges be overcome?
I would say the greatest challenge remains the stigma surrounding mental health. Anyone who has had experience with mental illness, personally or professionally, can tell you that despite advances in psychiatry and psychology, a great deal of stigma remains. The field of mental health has made some progress, but the stigma continues to be a reality.
Dealing with depression myself and then adding the struggle of finding help is what led me on this journey. I found that Uganda has one national referral mental hospital which has an inpatient capacity of 550. There are also 34 psychiatrists to serve a population of 40 million people. There are psychologists and counsellors to support the mental health sector but there is a lot of stigma surrounding mental health and yet mental health issues are on the rise such as depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, addictions, etc. There is social stigma which involves the prejudiced attitudes others have around mental illness; and self-perceived stigma, which involves an internalized stigma the person with the mental illness suffers from. Both are very real.
With stigma comes a lack of understanding of important others, which can be invalidating and painful. This can lead to isolation and shame. Stigma can also lead to harassment, bullying, and even violence. People with mental illnesses have faced discrimination in seeking employment and even housing. I think understanding mental health and understanding the associated stigma and discrimination will go a long way in helping people cope with mental illness.
What are some of the achievements you’ve registered with Clear Yo Mind?
The achievements registered with Clear Yo Mind are definitely a team effort, and I appreciate all the amazing people I work with for their inspiration and hard work. We are mostly proud of the fact that more people have awareness and are talking about mental health, and even more are reaching out for connection to mental health professionals. That is the core of what we do. In addition,
– We are working to establish the key relationships necessary for the set-up of Uganda’s first mental health hotline.
– We have conducted 8 community awareness campaigns which have reached over 2000 people.
– We have spearheaded and been involved in three annual mental health walks where people from various walks of life joined us to raise awareness for mental health on a national scale. The events were televised and covered extensively in local newspapers.
– Our online efforts, tracked using web and social media analytics, have reached over 1 million people to date (#CYMStories, #ClearYoMind)
What advice do you give to social enterprises struggling due to the Covid 19 pandemic?
The rapid spread of the COVID19 has caught the global economy and businesses largely off-guard. There is unprecedented uncertainty and volatility, the long-term consequences of which, are very hard to accurately assess, as we are not yet aware of its duration and possible outcome.
My advice is the leadership of social enterprises should adopt flexibility, with an intention of adopting a new normal in the present circumstances as much as possible. They should immediately address the need for maximum protection of team members through personal actions (hygiene, remote working, travel freeze, avoiding group gatherings, etc.). People are a company’s most important asset and their protection should be priority number one. It is also important to establish and maintain a clear communication strategy with the team and the business / enterprise clients in order to build confidence.
As in every period of adversity, changes in the market bring a lot of risks, but they can also create new business opportunities and drive innovation in businesses and sectors. The leaders of the social enterprises should equip themselves with COVID-19 related information from reputable sources and share it with team members to minimize misinformation. (I found this website that has a good array of resources that some people might find helpful https://www.britishcouncil.org/social-enterprise-resources-during-covid-19)
Leadership isn’t easy during these challenging times. What has your approach been leading your team?
I draw on all the experiences I have amassed over time. The topmost three being the Queen’s Young Leaders Award program, the Mandela Washington Fellowship and the Obama Leaders Fellowship.
I understand that the world is undergoing an unprecedented global pandemic, and there is a lot of stress on all of us as a human race but also in a major way on us as individuals. It does not cost anything to be kinder and more compassionate.
I have had to come to terms with the fact that some top performers in our team are not producing any significant results since the lockdown started because of personal struggles related with the lockdown. We pride ourselves on highlighting each other’s strengths, and compensating for each other’s weaknesses. We are working on creating a new normal that works for us, but in the meantime, I share this mantra with my team every single day. It has helped to keep our energy up and build a spirit of camaraderie with each other.
What advice would you give to a young entrepreneur trying to build a successful social enterprise brand?
‘When you walk to the edge of all the light you have, and take that first step into the darkness of the unknown, you must believe one of two things will happen: There will be something solid for you to stand upon, or you will be taught how to fly‘.- Patrick Overton
I like that quote and I believe it really applies in this instance. First and foremost, define what success means to you. Write down your vision and keep doing a little something every day towards fulfilling it. Trust the process. Take that first step, and then keep going.
Quick Five
- What is the first thing you thought of this morning?
I had a sense of overwhelming gratitude so it was just happy thoughts and thankfulness for God’s goodness and abundance in my life. I prayed, and then I called my parents. I miss them so much, I have not been able to hang out with them since the lock-down started. - First thing you would do if you became a president for a day?
I would increase the budget allocation for mental health management in the country. According to research by the World Health Organization, mental health care is not a priority for most governments because it is non-communicable. This means that at the moment, only 1% of the National Health Care budget is allocated to management of mental health in the country. - If you could meet one person alive or dead, who would it be and why?
Hahaha…that would have been an easy answer two years ago – I would have said Her Majesty The Queen of England, Elizabeth II.
Now, I have to think harder about it but since you gave me an option of choosing a person even if they are dead, I will temporarily go with Sigmund Freud. He is considered the father of psychology. His books take me on a journey each single time I read them. It would be a real treat to meet him and get a glimpse into how his mind worked. - Which quotes or phrases do you live by?
My favorite quote of all time:
‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.’– Marianne Williamson
Highlight of quote: you are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.‘This is a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before!’— Maya Angelou
(I also really love this one, I even wrote about it here – https://medium.com/@ekasujja/how-to-make-today-the-best-day-of-your-life-b1af39820b2dd) - What is the most Ugandan thing about you?
I think this is more a Buganda thing than the whole Uganda; but I still kneel down to greet all my elders. J Yes, even if we run into each other on the street in the middle of Kampala!
