Tragedy spurs family to take action against mental illness-related deaths

Community counsellor Caroline Wangari, whose brother George Gachunga died after suffering from mental illness. [George Njunge, Standard]

The incident where a man died by suicide has prompted a family in Lari Constituency to act to support the community in a bid to curb deaths linked to mental illness.

According to Caroline Wangari, her elder brother, George Gachunga, was warm, hospitable and always wore a smile. His death, however, came as a shock to both the family and the wider community.

“What we did not know was that behind the smiles and calm looks, there was a deadly fight going on in Gachunga’s life,” she told The Standard.

Wangari said her brother struggled with mental health challenges and substance abuse.

“Gachunga used to go to the shopping centre to be with his ‘boys’. They drank together and before long he was hooked,” she said.

She added that the family took Gachunga to a rehabilitation centre more than twice. Each time he left the facility, he appeared to be doing well, but the internal struggles persisted.

“On January 5, 2023, we lost our brother. We were shattered because we thought he was on the path to recovery. The sudden turn of events shocked us. His death revealed how deeply mental health struggles can hide behind a smile and a seemingly warm demeanour,” Wangari said.

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A portrait of George Gachunga who died after suffering from mental illness. [George Njunge, Standard]

She noted that the family felt empty and broken after his death, but after coming to terms with the loss, they found purpose in George’s passing. “We decided to help fellow villagers in Lari overcome mental health challenges through games, counselling and by meeting them in shopping centres to listen to their stories,” she said.

According to Wangari, Gacunga’s death became a call to action.

We could no longer sit back and watch young men in Lari sink into mental health struggles. We began speaking openly, pulling young men out of alcohol dens, bringing them together and showing them alternative ways of living,” she said.

She explained that talking alone was not enough, noting that idle spaces filled with drinking and drug use had to be replaced with constructive activities.

Together with her family and a group of like-minded residents, Wangari began organising ball games in shopping centres, forming teams that competed against each other.

She uses moments after the games to engage young men and women in conversations about mental health.

“The response has been encouraging. We are seeing more courage to confront mental health issues. The community is asking more questions, and conversations around mental health in Lari have reached unprecedented levels,” she said.

Community counsellor Caroline Wangari and young men from Lari after a football match. The men get counselling to curb mental illness. [George Njunge, Standard]

Wangari attributed mental health struggles to factors such as unspoken grief, economic pressure, cultural silence, substance abuse and generational trauma.

John Wainaina, 25, a beneficiary of the sporting activities and counselling sessions, said he had previously lost direction in life.

“I was lost in alcohol dens in Lari, without hope or a future. Shopping centres, drinking and idling had become my lifestyle,” he said.

“After being invited to football and counselling sessions, I reinvented myself and found my lost identity. I am now a new man.

‘‘There is nothing more dangerous than an energetic person with nothing constructive to do,” Wainaina added. According to Josphine Waithiru, a psychological counsellor and tutor, mental illness seems to be on increase because of the lifestyles many have adopted .

“There is a relationship between substance abuse and mental health disorder. Abuse of drugs and alcohol can trigger or worsen mental health conditions like depression, anxiety and psychosis,”Waithiru said.