Breaking the silence: Young Gambians take the lead on psychological health

Banjul–Every day, youths discuss school, work, relationships and their wish for the future. Numerous still discover it tough to talk about what is occurring in their own minds.

Throughout The Gambia, preconception and discrimination continue to make discussions about psychological health challenging. For some youths, requesting aid can feel dangerous. Others stress they will not be comprehended. Frequently, deals with tension, stress and anxiety or anxiety stay covert behind silence.

This is the silence that 4 youths– Lamin Fofana, Aisha Sarr, Isatou Saho and Aji Jacob Njie– are working to break.

Their journey started in November 2025, when they took part in the Child and Young People’s Mental Health Workshop, an online platform that united young supporters from the African area. Through conversations on stress and anxiety, anxiety, drug abuse, preconception and suicide avoidance, they increased their understanding of psychological health and, significantly, the function youths can play in forming options.

Inspired to take forward what he had actually found out, Fofana began producing areas where youths might talk honestly about their experiences and support one another. “I started small,” he remembers. “We just developed an area where youths might discuss their psychological health experiences. More individuals signed up with.”

Those conversations gradually expanded into community and online discussions where young people could speak openly about their well-being and learn about available support. Through this experience, Fofana realized that many young people were willing to talk about mental health. They simply needed a safe place to begin.

According to Sarr, the workshop revealed that not every struggle is visible. Anxiety, pressure and fear can remain hidden when young people do not feel able to speak openly. “I left that workshop knowing I wanted to be part of the solution,” she says. She is convinced that young people simply need the confidence and language to recognize when they or someone around them may need support.

With continued mentorship from World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Mental Health Programme in The Gambia, the four advocates participated in the Mental Health Intercountry Learning Workshop on Accelerating Progress Towards the 2030 African Regional Mental Health Targets, held from in July 2026 in Lomé, Togo.

“Purchasing psychological health is a financial investment in human capacity. When individuals are empowered to look after their psychological wellness and look for aid when required, neighborhoods end up being healthier, more durable, and much better geared up to prosper,” says Dr Ifeanyi Udenweze, Team Lead for Health Emergencies at WHO in The Gambia. 
The regional workshop brought together participants from across Africa to advance work on mental health policy and services, including community and school-based mental health, suicide prevention, addictive behaviours and digital mental health interventions.

This time, the young advocates were not simply participants: they helped lead the conversation. Saho co-moderated discussions on addictive behaviours and digital mental health interventions, while Sarr co-moderated a youth and suicide prevention session.

“For several years, psychological health has actually been a challenging subject to talk about freely. Seeing youths lead these discussions offers us hope that the next generation will mature in neighborhoods where looking for aid is viewed as a strength, not a weak point,” says Jarra Marega, Programme Manager for National Mental Health at The Gambia’s Ministry of Health.

As a nursing student, Saho has seen how stigma continues to prevent many people from seeking support when they need it most. “In lots of neighborhoods, individuals still fear speaking about psychological health,” she says. “Some believe asking for help means you are weak.”

Figured out to challenge these beliefs, Saho motivates peers to see looking for assistance as an act of nerve, assists to stabilize discussions about psychological wellness and advises youths they are not alone.

Njie thinks that the discussion should move beyond awareness to action. She keeps that youths are currently supporting one another, however more powerful systems and higher financial investment are required to guarantee they are not delegated bring the concern alone. “We have the policy. We have the proof. We have the will. Now we require the action,” she states.