- Resilient Youth Initiative: Mental Health Awareness Programme
- Completed :January - June 2026
- Location :Uganda, Rwanda & Malawi
- Duration :6 Months
A six-month hybrid mental health campaign implemented with support from The Sawa Project.
The Resilient Youth Initiative (RYI) is a youth-led initiative dedicated to bridging the mental health gap in Uganda, Rwanda, and Malawi. Activities were implemented across diverse settings, including primary and secondary schools, universities, community youth hubs, digital platforms, and institutional environments like Sebbi Hospital. In Rwanda specifically, workshops at the University of Rwanda resulted in a 67.1% increase in Psychological First Aid
knowledge among students.
A core objective was testing the Youth Handbook on Resilience and Mental Wellbeing, which uses creative metaphors like the “Traveler and the Storm” to make mental health concepts relatable. The project engaged 718 direct participants (418F, 238M) and generated over 22,500 digital views. Contextual activities included a “healing” vegetable garden in Malawi to symbolize mental hygiene and a 31-day “Commit & Share” WhatsApp program fostering regional solidarity.
Furthermore, the initiative validated a sustainable revenue model by piloting Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) with partners like Sebbi Hospital and Psalms Food Industries. The pilot demonstrated high efficacy, with 92.6% of participants correctly identifying resilience and 96.3% maintaining a positive attitude toward coping with hardship. Most critically, the project reports two lives directly saved—one in Machinga District and another via digital advocacy. These results confirm that youth-led, peer-to-peer interventions effectively reduce stigma and provide essential lifelines in underserved communities
What we delivered:
- Provided immediate virtual counseling, trauma support, and safety planning for 5 acute crisis cases initiated through online safe spaces.
- Designed and conducted in-person mental health awareness, psychoeducation, and resilience training sessions for 718 direct participants across Uganda, Malawi, and Rwanda (comprising 418 tracked females, 238 tracked males, and 62 online youth)
- Delivered specialized capacity-building workshops to approximately 100 first-year university students at the University of Rwanda (UR-Rukara Campus), generating a measurable 67.1% increase in PFA knowledge.
- Produced and disseminated targeted digital mental health messaging across LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and Instagram, generating over 22,500 total views and online engagements.
- Delivered specialized capacity-building workshops to approximately 100 first-year university students at the University of Rwanda (UR-Rukara Campus), generating a measurable 67.1% increase in PFA knowledge.
Impact achieved:
- Impacted a diverse demographic footprint across Uganda, Malawi, and Rwanda (comprising 418 tracked females, 238 tracked males, and 62 online youth).
- Capacity-building workshops at the University of Rwanda (UR-Rukara Campus) achieved a 67.1% increase in Psychological First Aid (PFA) knowledge, shifting students from near-zero familiarity to functional mastery.
- Regional pilot evaluation surveys across all three countries revealed that 92.6% of participants could correctly define mental resilience.
- Post-intervention data showed that 96.3% of evaluated participants maintained a positive, constructive attitude toward coping with systemic hardship.
- 718 direct participants were engaged across Uganda, Malawi, and Rwanda. This cohort included 418 tracked females, 238 tracked males, and 62 online youth
