Nairobi Schools Adopt Mental Wellness Sessions for Teenagers

In a move signaling a growing commitment to student well‑being, several Nairobi schools have introduced structured mental wellness sessions targeted at teenagers. Under the programme launched on October 30, 2025, participating institutions are holding weekly peer‑led forums, guided by trained counsellors and teachers, where students openly discuss stress, social pressures and emotional health. The initiative—supported by NGO programmes such as Mental Heroes Association of Kenya and Mental 360—aims to build resilience and reduce stigma around mental‑health challenges in urban school communities.
This rollout builds on evidence that adolescents in Nairobi face rising emotional and psychological burdens, including anxiety linked to academic pressure, social‑media influences and unstable home‑environments. Projects such as the Teen Mental Health School initiative in Nairobi County have previously trained teachers and parents in mental‑health literacy and set up referral pathways within schools.The new sessions expand on these gains by integrating wellness clubs and peer‑mentorship frameworks into regular school routines—allowing students to lead dialogues, self‑assess coping‑strategies and access on‑site support.
Reaction among school communities has been positive. Teenagers say the sessions give them a rare opportunity to speak candidly about worries they previously kept private, fostering a more supportive atmosphere. Teachers report noticeable improvements in class‑participation and student mood, while parents appreciate the proactive approach to mental‑health rather than waiting for crises to surface. Mental‑health advocates highlight the importance of these efforts, but caution that without consistent funding, trained counsellors and accessible referral systems in all schools—especially in informal‑settlement areas—the risk remains of unequal access to these vital services.
Looking ahead, the plan is to scale the programme across all Nairobi‑County schools by mid‑2026, with a focus on establishing dedicated wellness‑rooms, training more peer‑mentors and measuring impacts such as reduced absenteeism and improved student engagement. If successfully implemented city‑wide, Nairobi’s model could become a benchmark for integrating mental‑wellness into education—ensuring that learning environments nurture not only academic achievement but the holistic‑health of every young learner.