Mental health refers to one’s emotional, psychological and social well- being. It affects how one thinks, feels and behaves and it also determines how one can handle stress, relate to others and make decisions and choices. Thus, good mental health enables you to deal with life’s challenges, realise your potential and abilities, learn and work well, contribute to your community as well as form and maintain healthy relationships. Mental health is an important part of one’s well-being, yet it is one of the most misunderstood and stigmatized aspects of health. It is therefore vital to explore what mental health issues are, why they matter and how societies can better address them.

According to WHO more than one billion people globally live with a mental health condition, making it one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. In Zimbabwe it is a common thing to find mentally challenged people roaming the streets. It is worrisome to note that many more people succumb to stress and depression due to social and economic reasons. Experts describe mental health as a public health emergency, with rising rates of depression, anxiety and stress- related disorders found across all age groups.

Common mental health issues comprise depression, that is persistent sadness, loss of interest, fatigue and lack of sleep that affect one’s daily life. Anxiety disorders emanating from excessive worry, panic attacks and other physical symptoms like rapid mood changes and violence depict mental health challenges. Some people struggle with mental health as a result of drug abuse and substance use. I have witnessed disheartening incidences of people struggling with mental health issues. At my workplace some student teachers have to postpone their studies in order to seek medication as a result of substance use. Even when they return to resume their studies, you can still see that they would be vulnerable and struggling. At one point we had a female student who was raped while on work integrated learning. Although the culprit was arrested and the girl received counseling and medical treatment, the traumatizing incident left an undetectable mark on her well-being.

There is also the sad case of a colleague’s son who committed suicide after completing his Advanced Level. Unknown to his parents, he had been struggling with drug and substance abuse. The heart wrecking incident of a fellow congregant who returned home from church to find his son who had been struggling with drug addiction), having set fire to the entire homestead, struck and murdered his pregnant wife with a matchet and then burnt the body. The mother had to flee for dear life together with her three grandchildren (children of the man who had killed his wife). Mental health issues are not merely an individual problem, they also affect families and the society at large.

They say prevention is better than cure. Healthy lifestyle approaches are necessary. It is therefore imperative to exercise self-care strategies such as mindfulness and meditation. This helps to reduce stress and increase self-awareness. Exercising boosts mood and it is essential for one to have adequate sleeping time. One also needs to have healthy eating habits and avoid loneliness by building and maintaining healthy relationships and community ties.

Early intervention is important. There is need to be one’s brother’s keeper. Recognizing symptoms of health challenges and seeking professional help early is important. Expanding affordable therapy, counseling and community-based support is very important. It is also important to reduce stigma through open conversations in order to normalize mental health struggles. I remember one of our students who had just returned from receiving therapy for drug addiction, coming to my office with a notebook saying, “Mam, I want to learn to write books like you do. Here is what I got from the library.” He read to me what appeared to be lacking coherence but I praised him so as to boost his confidence and then gave him the advice he needed. He left a contended young man and I felt that I had assisted him well without showing any stigmatization.

Mental health issues are therefore not just personal struggles, they are societal challenges that require collective action. By providing the awareness, accessibility and compassion, communities can foster resilience and ensure that mental health is treated with the same urgency and respect as physical health. Mental health is a prerequisite for everyone.

By Perpetua Gonese

Social Handles

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There comes a time in life

A time of death, grief and weeping

And the clock does not stop ticking

For life goes on

The comes a time

Of loneliness, emptiness and sorrow

And the sun rises everyday

To symbolize a new beginning

For life goes on

A time of failure, struggle and disappointment comes

And hours turn to days

Days to weeks

Weeks to months

Months to years

A time of despair, weakness and defeat comes

And the moon rests

For a new day to start

For life goes on

In a time of pain and suffering

In a time of darkness and gloom

In a time of tumult and destruction

The world does not stop resolving

For life goes on

From: Anathi Kom

Anathi’s Story: A Voice Through Words

A Voice Through Words~ By Anathi – Sheevolves.world – African

Socials: Facebook~ Anathi Kom

(20+) Facebook

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I spent my entire school career in a boarding school, where I was expected to look after myself from the tender age of 8, in Grade 2, until I graduated in Grade 12. I remember when I started boarding school during the second term of Grade 2 in the middle of winter, my shoes were stolen from my locker. When I told my mom, who was a domestic worker, that my shoes were stolen, she told me that she didn’t have the money to buy me another pair of shoes, so I had to attend school barefoot for the whole term. Then there was a time when my feet were cracked from walking barefoot and eventually bled, but I didn’t feel anything; only the other kids could see blood flowing from my feet, and they were the ones who showed me.

I never knew a mother’s love/attention since I started boarding school. l had to spend my holidays with a guardian, and I could feel a sense of not belonging there. If there is work to be done at home, no one else could do it besides me, starting from cooking, cleaning, laundry, and milking goats. I did not spend my holidays resting; I worked hard so that I could get a bar of soap and lotion for boarding school.

I had to do laundry for other girls in order for me to use their soap water to wash my own clothes, and iron their clothes so that I could iron mine because I did not have the privilege of getting full toiletries termly. I got old clothes from family members, especially from girls of family members where my mother was working. I never knew wearing store-bought underwear; only from the leftover fabric that my guardian was not using, she sewed some underwear or two.

Imagine a teenager who gets her period every month. Not having any sanitary towels to use, I had to use the mattress I was sleeping on. Every month, I would cut 3 or 4 pieces from the mattress, cover them with part of a t-shirt I cut up, and use that as a sanitary towel. It didn’t help much, but it was better than nothing. When the bleeding was too heavy, I had to skip school for the day.

Coming home for the holidays, you will face a constant reminder that it’s not your home. Since I was the only one doing all the domestic work, after I mopped the floor and the other kids came from playing and they wanted to use the bathroom, and I told them that the floor was wet, I was constantly told that I should let them enter their house, I should remember that it is not our house… this reminder lives with me until today.

Whenever you want to do something or you have an idea and you are looking for validation or support from your guardian, there was always a negative comment and eventually a big NO! That caused me to start feeling that I am not good enough, or anything l do is not good enough, or I cannot be better than someone else.

I am fighting daily to be better and to know that I am good enough, but this childhood trauma is stuck with me, that it causes me to procrastinate or delay very important things I have to do in order to make my life better and that of my daughter. I know I am stronger than my past. And every day, I choose to fight for a better life-not just for me, but for my daughter. I may still carry the scars, but they remind me how far I have come. I am learning, step by step, to believe in myself. No one can take away my power. No one can erase the fact that I survived.

And now, I am trying to build something new… a life where my daughter will never know the pain I knew. She will grow up loved, supported, and sure of her worth. The little girl who walked barefoot, who sewed her own underwear, who made do with nothing, she is still inside me. But she is not broken. She is a warrior. And warriors keep rising. My story isn’t over yet. The best chapters are still ahead.

Written By: Jasana Uandia

Instagram: Jasana Ijemue Uandia

Facebook: Jasana Ijemue Uandia

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The wheels rolling unstoppable as time passes by,
There in with different souls as passersby,
Each soul a beauty, a specialty in tow,
Leaving colors splattered where spirit glows.

The good old memories, their sweetness clear,
As fresh as an untainted atmosphere,
The chatters, bickers of love we embrace
Lived through seasons in time and space.

Chapters ends as another begins,
Every page carries the ink of what we’ve lost and gained,
The images fades but the memories remains,
Like Haines pictured in the sun and rain.

Echoes of laughter sounding so loud,
Through the chaos and the rough plowed,
Though some deeds in the past we cannot acclaim,
Yet the memories we photographed and framed.

By Faith Matins

Facebook: Faith Matins

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Poem by Sarah Eno Obongha

Choose To Try Again

At times the hope of a river flows into a canal,
Draining away its current.
At times, the faith of the moon is covered by the cloud
Leaving its mouth silent, even when it screams out loud.
At times the strength of the rain is shadowed by a stride sun
Exposing its weakness even when it’s on the run.
At times we strive towards our goal but are faced with shut doors,
Banged against us,
Leaving us injured and chiselled by bitterness.
At times our mistakes are bold, staring us right in the face,
sending more fear to our injured minds.
At times care becomes a curse as sorrow lingers in our home,
Our doubt knocks on our strength like a homeless pet,
Ready to feed on us as a pest.

Always bear in mind;
That you can choose to try again.

Also,
At times the star shines bright, giving hope to those who stare,
At times the moon glows, it glows so radiantly,
that even the cloud dims Its eyes.
At times the rain falls with drums of a fresh start,
creating a symphony with thunder and lightning

as it matches on boldly.
At times we are faced with opportunities,
It appears unto us in a blink,
For grabs and steals.
our minds can bear wounds with courage,
as it scares away our sorrow and doubts
at times our strength leads us to our purpose,
bearing in mind the scar of our failure
believing that, even if we fall again,
we will choose to try again.

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I recently found what I would like to think is the best oat pancakes recipe. What I enjoy the most about this recipe is how easy it is to follow and how delicious the pancakes come out to be. These pancakes are also super healthy and versatile, and I would like to share this recipe with you.

You will need the following ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats;
1 cup milk, regular or non-dairy;
2 large eggs;
1 tablespoon butter, plus more for cooking;
1 tablespoon sugar;
2/3 cup flour;
2 teaspoons baking powder;
1/4 teaspoon salt;
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional);
or
2 teaspoons of cocoa powder (optional).

Firstly, you would need to whisk 1 cup of rolled oats and 1 cup of milk together in a large bowl. Let that stand for about 10 minutes for the oats to soften. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and set it aside to cool.

After that, add the butter, 2 eggs, and 1 tablespoon of sugar to the oats, and whisk to combine. Add 2/3 cup of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon or 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder, if you wish. Then whisk until just combined. Please do not overmix. Try to let the batter stand for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat your non-stick pan over medium-high heat.

After that, add 1 teaspoon butter to the pan and swirl to coat. Drop the batter into the pan in 2-tablespoon portions, cooking 3 at a time. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface, the edges look dry, and the bottoms are golden-brown for about 3 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until the other side is golden-brown, 2 to 3 minutes more.

Finally, transfer the pancakes to a warm oven or plate. Repeat cooking the remaining batter, using 1 teaspoon of butter for each batch.

Serve with some fruits (preferably berries) and add a drizzle of maple syrup, jam, or honey.

And there you have it, the perfect oat pancakes, enjoy!

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Procrastination

Procrastination is opportunity’s natural assassin.

A thief of time

Tomorrow and later is its password

kidnapper of dreams, and its’ ransom is the future.

A cruel master to its client

who keeps reciting the master’s password TOMORROW

A client, a victim

Those who choose to welcome this thief of time

They keep patronizing while the thief keeps stealing their light till it’s no more.

They won’t hesitate in opening their doors for the guest, who in turn leaves them standing bare, naked and dejected with a lost opportunity

While giving them hope of another opportunity yet to be lost.

Master of it is never too late

Never freeing its student

Naming classes for them

The performer has his slogan, “I work under pressure.”

The self-deprecator yawns.”I am so lazy right now.”

The overbooker scrolls while reciting his motto, “I am so busy.”

The top student novelty seekers always say, “I just had the best ideas.”

These are a student of procrastination

Every time, Every year, till time is gone

Graduating as a connoisseur of procrastination.

Victims of words and no action

A year has gone by in this cage

Times’ stolen

Dreams shattered

but the password never changes

Later, I am busy tomorrow

I don’t know where to start

And for some unfortunate victims

“it is too late, I wish…”

Are you a victim

Or a regular client?

Are you tired of being one?

Can’t you see the camera?

Silence and work

Action not words

Practical not theory

Change your password while changing its’ master

Do it now

There is no tomorrow without today

start now

And free yourself from that TOMORROW

By Umeh Gloria

Facebook handle: Gloria Umeh

Instagram handle: Umeh Gloria

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For most young black girls living in remote rural and underdeveloped villages, dreams and goals seem arid and/or impossible to reach. I know that because I was once that young black girl whose dreams were clouded by the societal misconceptions of what a woman can and should be. Having a conversation with Noxolo felt like revisiting the long-buried memories of my childhood. A time when I had an irresistible burning desire to be heard, seen, and recognized for what I could offer the world. And for a moment, I wished someone had told me that I wasn’t crazy for wanting to be more than what society had dictated for my life. Which is why sharing Noxolo’s passion for art, an area predominantly known to be a “white man’s field”, was an honour. This is how our conversation went:

MK: Briefly tell me about your upbringing, qualifications, aspirations and hobbies.

Noxolo: I am 22 years old. My grandmother raised me in Ntinini village, in KwaZulu-Natal. Later in 2016, I moved to Gauteng to complete grade 11 and 12 at Boitumelong Secondary School, located in Tembisa township (Sedibeng section). In 2018, I started my National Diploma in Food Technology at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). Now, I am a quality intern at Kellogg’s Springs Plant.

I do a lot of writing. I write short stories, poems and some of the poems have been published by Avbob poetry. I was also shortlisted in writing a children’s anthology by Kwasukasukela books. And last year, I fell in love with painting and drawing.

My hobbies include acting, monologues, writing, painting, watching animation and comedy movies. My greatest aspiration is to bring change to the world through art.

MK: At what age did the desire to create art through writing, painting, and drawing arise?

Noxolo: When I was nine years old, my mother passed away. Life became so hard because I started a new life with my grandma’s family- my mom’s aunt. I found it so hard to adapt and fit in at my grandma’s place from the very start. One of the reasons that made it challenging to adapt was that no one really understood me because I was slightly introverted. My heart was constantly aching and bleeding because the scene of my mother’s last days was stuck in my mind, and I had no courage to talk about it. So during those difficult times, pen and paper became my friends. At first, I used to write letters for my late mother. That is when I realized that writing was my healing process, making me feel happy.

I fell in love with poetry after reading the poetry anthology titled “Izinkwazi Zothukela” by M. Makhanya. I was intrigued by the nature of poems, and I got a lot of inspiration from that book. So, in 2017, I started to write poems. Over the years, I have been writing about hope and love. Fortunately, some of those poems have been published. I love poetry because it allows me to touch souls and hold the hands of the hopeless.

The idea of a painting came when I was building characters for my short story. In brief, the story narrates as follows: “There was this young widow named Grace. After her husband and her only child lost their lives in a horrific car accident, Grace was left swimming in the pool of tears, breathing pain, and there were absolutely no words that could make her feel better.” So from that, I asked myself, “what is it that can possibly make my protagonist “Grace” feel better?” And the answer that came to my mind was “paintings”. And instantly, I knew I had to try to execute this idea.

I chose painting because sometimes words aren’t enough, but what we see is all that matters, and we can analyze or narrate our stories from what we see. So, when Grace glanced at the wall, she saw this painting that whispered in her ears. And suddenly, a smile appeared on her face. Well, that’s how I started painting. Some of the paintings I’ve done taught me that painting is not about perfection but the emotions it evokes when looking at it.

MK: Ever since you started writing, did you have any challenges that made you want to quit? Challenges such as; prolonged writer’s block or inevitable personal challenges that made writing seem pointless.

What did you do to overcome those challenges?

Noxolo: I have never been in a position where I felt like quitting because every single day, it’s like a new fabric that I use to create stories. However, like anyone else, I have had challenges here and there. The major challenge is that I tend to jump from one story to another before finishing the previous one from a writer’s perspective. Ironically, I know how to fix this problem, but I still repeatedly find myself hurdling the same situation.

At some point, I realized that my dream of having a successful novel on the market was probably a vague idea. So last year (2020), I decided to focus only on poetry and do the collection titled “The rainbow of feelings”. In the turn of events, I even transformed some of the pieces I never finished into free verse poems. And by God’s Grace, I believe that I will finish it.

MK: Most often, it’s either you draw and paint, or you write. It’s rarely both. You are amongst the few artists who them simultaneously, and on the other hand, you still managed to pursue a career in food sciences. What’s the trick?

Noxolo: That’s a good question because food science is a busy industry, primarily where I work. However, if whatever you have on your plate makes you happy, it doesn’t affect the scale. Art is my therapy and forever joy. Sometimes I thank God for it because it helps me ease the stress of work.

MK: Would you, at some point, consider creating art (through creative writing, painting and drawing) as a full-time career? Or is it something you want to keep as a side hobby/side-hustle?

Noxolo: No. I don’t think I would be financially stable if I could consider art as a full-time career. It’s better as a hobby/side-hustle.

MK: Most people see art as a risky and unstable career. What was the primary inspiration behind your vision to “create” from such a young age? But I guess you have answered it, or is there something you would want to add to that?

Noxolo: I totally agree. Art is a risky career. However, if you try to blend it with other things, the statement changes. That’s what I want to do. At some point, I want to integrate art with food science. Part of my vision board includes a dream to start a coffee shop business with a unique touch of art in it. Depending on my customer’s preferences, it won’t be just a cup of coffee, but a cup of coffee topped with an original quote or an illustration.

MK: You have a creative mindset. Open-minded and goal-driven young individual. I love that about you. What message(s) would you say you are trying to translate through your art?

Noxolo: *All shall be well*.

It might not be today, but eventually, everything will fall into place. I want people to know that some things are beyond our control. Like when God has decided to agree with life’s enemy, life has no choice but to come to an end. So, what can we say without saying goodbye?

Mostly, I want people to see a glimpse of hope through my work.

MK: When you hear the phrase “Start Now”, what is the first thing that comes to your mind?

Noxolo: There’s no better time than now, and you’ll never know your capabilities until you try. I know this because I wouldn’t have ever known that I could paint if I didn’t try.

MK: Last but not least, what does self-evolution mean to you?

Noxolo: To me, self-evolution is about being aware of your strengths and weaknesses. The corrective actions you take to improve yourself and to know what keeps you going.

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