Bio
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| Sitawa Wafula - Blogger + Mental Health Advocate |
Sitawa Wafula is a blogger and pioneering mental health advocate with over 15 years of experience, dedicated to addressing mental health disparities for Africans across the globe. She is also a Senior Fellow with the Aspen Institute’s Global Innovators, an advisory board member at McGill University’s Participatory Cultural Lab, and a Health Strategy Committee member at the Africa - Europe Foundation.
Her advocacy is rooted in her personal journey with epilepsy and bipolar disorder. Experiencing firsthand the impact of information and support gaps on individuals and families, she launched an award-winning blog to share her journey and raise awareness. This led to establishing Kenya’s first mental health support line, which served 11,000 people in its first year. She also prototyped a mental health academy to train the next generation of African mental health champions, supporting 30 students from 8 African countries and the diaspora.
Sitawa has spearheaded youth mental health programs, including one in Kibera, one of Africa’s largest informal settlements, where she partnered with Cisco Systems to teach young people storytelling and blogging for mental health awareness. She also organized the Akili ni Mali storytelling tour, collaborating with universities and youth groups across Kenya and Nigeria to reduce stigma and raise awareness about mental health.
Her commitment to mental health extends to her role as a contributor to the Kenyan Mental Health Policy 2015-2030, a framework for improving mental health care in Kenya.
As a researcher, Sitawa explores topics such as addiction, belonging, loneliness, and isolation, examining their impact on mental health outcomes. She works to develop culturally relevant solutions that foster belonging and address social and emotional challenges.
A freelance columnist, Sitawa has by-lines in The Star, Daily Nation, Mail & Guardian, NPR, and PennLive, discussing youth mental health, gender, policy, disability, stigma, and the need for culturally relevant mental health services. Her thought leadership has earned her accolades such as the BET Global Good and Google Africa Connected Awards. Sitawa has shared her insights on prestigious platforms like TED and the UN General Assembly, addressing mental health disparities and solutions for Africans.
Outside of her advocacy and entrepreneurial work, she is an avid poet who ran poetry nights in Kenya and enjoys caring for her 40 houseplants, watching Premier League football, and experimenting with new recipes. Sitawa is currently quenching her academic curiosities, and looks forward to becoming a professor someday.
