Convo Africa Magazine Issue 009

Where does it hurt the most? I wonder. I think...

Some people walk into rooms and simply exist, as if that alone is enough. They don’t rehearse their worth. They don’t negotiate their presence. They just sit there, fully convinced they belong. But some of us, every opportunity feels like a test. Every relationship feels like an assignment. And somewhere in the back of our minds, there’s always that question: “Did I actually earn this, or did I just slip through by mistake?” Because growing up, worth wasn’t something you had, it was something you proved. Over and over again. Preferably with results. Good ones. So now, even in rooms we fought to enter, we hesitate. Not because we don’t belong, but because no one ever taught us that belonging didn’t need to be earned in the first place.

The passing of Charles ‘Charli’ Ouda has reignited urgent conversations on mental illness, suicide stigma, and Kenya’s outdated legal framework. It’s time to replace criminalisation with compassion, access to care, and informed mental health reform.

Tania Galakhova’s portrayal of depression captures what many silently endure, the fatigue, disconnection, and grey tint that colours everything. It’s a mirror of what countless Kenyans face daily. At Convo e-Therapy, we believe no one should walk through that darkness alone. Let’s talk.