Over 100 teachers in Kiambu County have been reported to have died due to mental health issues in the past three years.
According to Kenya Women Teachers Association (KEWOTA), a teachers’ welfare organization, the rising cases of mental health illnesses among teachers has reached alarming levels.
Nancy Muhindi, chairperson KEWOTA Kiambu chapter, said that teachers also face mental issues with nowhere to turn to for help.
“The teachers carry a lot of burdens, which include teaching and being with students and have also to deal with personal issues. Some are unable to cope with the situation hence end up being mentally ill,” Muhindi said.
She said due to the rising cases, KEWOTA has decided to reach out to the suffering teachers to create awareness by organizing a mental health walk for the teachers where they will get to interact with mental health counsellors and experts.
“We have organized a mental health walk for teachers with a theme “10K steps for my teacher”, which aims at reaching out to that teacher who is silently suffering,” she said.
She called upon well-wishers to come out and join in the walk, which will be held in Kiambu town on May 25, 2024 to culminate in a mental health talk with experts in Kiambu Primary School.
“To support the teachers one can buy a T-shirt worth Ksh1,000, a cap worth Ksh500 and a wrist band worth Ksh300. We all passed through a teacher and we can support them,” she said.
The walk will also be held in Nairobi, Nakuru, Machakos, Migori.
She, however, encouraged teachers to maintain their sanity since they are the ones given responsibility by parents to watch over their children.
In a press briefing held early this month, KEWOTA CEO Benta Opande had said that an estimated 30 per cent of Kenyan teachers experience symptoms of depression and anxiety.
KEWOTA is committed to creating a supportive environment where teachers will feel empowered to seek help and access the resources they need without appearing before the employer.
YOU MAY ALSO READ:
Scrapping school feeding programme is denying learners from poor families meals
By Felix Wanderi
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
