Mental Wellness with Miss Nkosi

06/11/2025

Hey everyone, I’m Cheryl Nkosi!

If you’re new here, welcome to this space! I’m so glad you’re joining the conversation. I wear a few different hats, these include: mental health advocate, gender equality champion, storyteller, and the founder of Mental Wellness with Miss Nkosi, a platform that connects young people across Southern and East Africa to mental health resources and open, stigma-free dialogue.

My journey in advocacy began back in 2014 through a UNFPA Multimedia Workshop while I was still in school. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working with communities, organisations, and policy spaces to push for more inclusive health systems — especially for women and youth.

I also serve as a voice in the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), and recently received a Founder of the Year Awards (FOYA) nomination for the work I am doing to make mental wellness accessible.

Through my podcast Careful As Chronic and community projects, I aim to spark honest conversations about chronic illness, womanhood, and purpose — reminding us that healing and impact can coexist.

This page is where I share reflections on advocacy, faith, mental health, and personal growth — the real, unfiltered moments behind the journey.

💛 I’d love to hear from you too. Tell me — what drew you to this page, and what kind of conversations would you like us to explore together?

12/09/2025

Indigenous mental health - grandmothers healing community with Zimbabwe-based psychiatrist Dr. Dixon Chibanda - Friendship Bench

12/09/2025

September is Su***de Awareness Month: Are our workplaces truly safe for mental health?

For the past eleven years I have been a mental health advocate. This work has taken me into conversations about wellbeing, social inclusion and community development, and it remains deeply personal to me. Su***de Awareness Month is not just a campaign on the calendar. It is a reminder that we all have a part to play, especially in the places where we spend most of our time: our workplaces.

Why this matters!

Work shapes lives. A safe workplace is more than policies on paper. It is a space where people can speak honestly, reach out for help and feel supported. When that happens, teams are stronger and people are healthier.

Understanding the terms.

Su***de is the act of ending one’s own life.
Suicidal ideation is when someone thinks about or plans su***de, even if they never act on those thoughts. It is an important warning sign that should never be ignored.
A mental health care facility can be a clinic, a counselling centre or even a workplace programme that connects staff to trained professionals.

What we know:

Globally, 75% of su***de deaths are among men while 25% are among women. Research suggests women may have some biological advantages in handling stress, yet this does not make women’s mental health any less important. Substance misuse and violent behaviour often make things worse and can push people from distress into suicidal ideation or even su***de itself.

The bigger picture:

In some countries, su***de attempts are still treated as crimes. These laws add stigma and keep people from getting the support they need. Encouragingly, countries such as India, Singapore, Pakistan, Malaysia and Ghana have started to decriminalise su***de attempts, recognising that this is a public health issue, not a criminal one.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 3 on good health and wellbeing, call on us to reduce premature mortality and promote mental health for all.

What organisations can do
• Provide confidential counselling and Employee Assistance Programmes.
• Train leaders to recognise when someone might be struggling.
• Offer workshops, check-ins and open conversations.
• Make it clear that mental health is part of overall health.

My call to action:

September is a chance to pause and reflect. Lives can change when compassion is matched with action. My own journey has shown me that healing happens when people are included, supported and given access to care. I invite organisations, leaders and advocates to step up as allies and create workplaces where people can connect, heal and thrive.

Also follow me here on Facebook for access to affordable mental healthcare services in East and Southern Africa

07/08/2025

WOTD

25/07/2025

Quote of the day

24/07/2025