From My Own Battle with Depression to Building a Community That Gives Others Hope

About CROU

Community Redemption Organization Uganda (CROU) is a grassroots organization advocating for mental health and promoting wellbeing among vulnerable communities in Uganda.

Our work focuses on creating mental health awareness, challenging stigma and misconceptions, providing psychosocial support, and bringing mental health information and resources closer to underserved populations.

We engage young people, women and men through community outreaches, mental health education, counselling support and referrals. We also aim to create safe spaces where women can discuss their emotional wellbeing, share experiences and access support without judgement.

Through our work, we hope to build communities where mental health is understood, people feel supported, and everyone can access the help they need.

“No health without mental health.”

The story behind the work

The inspiration behind my work comes from my own personal experience with depression. At just 18 years old, I went through a difficult period in my life when I began experiencing heart palpitations and other physical symptoms. I initially thought I had a heart condition, but after visiting the hospital, I was diagnosed with depression.

Growing up in Uganda, I had very little understanding of mental health. It was not a subject openly discussed in my community, and even within my family, there was limited awareness. Sometimes emotional struggles were misunderstood or associated with spiritual problems. This made it difficult for me to explain what I was going through or find the support I needed.

Although I was advised to seek counselling, accessing professional help was financially challenging. At 18, I had to find ways of paying for my own counselling sessions because I could not depend on my family to finance them. It was a lonely and challenging journey, but I was determined to find healing.

As I recovered, I began asking myself how many other young people, women and men were experiencing similar struggles but had no information, support or financial ability to access help.

I did not want my experience to end with my own healing. I wanted it to become a reason someone else would find hope and support.

That is what inspired me to establish Community Redemption Organization Uganda (CROU) in 2021. I wanted to create an organization that would take mental health conversations into communities, challenge stigma, provide psychosocial support and bring resources closer to people who need them most.

Today, our work is driven by the belief that nobody should have to suffer silently because they cannot afford help or because society does not understand their struggles.

I started this work because I know what it feels like to need help and struggle to find it. I continue because I want to make that journey easier for someone else.

The change so far

Since establishing CROU, one of the most meaningful changes I have witnessed is the willingness of people to begin talking about their mental health and sharing experiences they would otherwise keep to themselves.

Through our community outreaches and awareness activities, we have created opportunities for young people, women and men to have open conversations about depression, stress, substance abuse and other mental health challenges. We have seen how important it is for people to have someone who listens without judging them.

During our recent outreach in the ghettos, we engaged men and women in honest conversations about substance abuse, the circumstances surrounding their involvement in the drug trade and the challenges they face. Beyond creating awareness, we offered counselling and small forms of support to encourage them to consider a different path and rebuild their lives.

We have also learned that many people do not necessarily lack the desire to improve their lives; they often lack information, encouragement, access to support and opportunities.

For me, impact is not only about the number of people reached. It is also about the person who finally understands that what they are experiencing is a mental health challenge, the woman who finds the courage to seek help, or the young person who realizes that their circumstances do not have to define their future.

We may not have reached as many people as we dream of yet, but every conversation started, every person listened to and every life encouraged reminds us why this work matters.

What would help CROU grow

We are not short of passion, commitment or the desire to create change. What we need is the right support, partnerships and resources to turn this vision into a greater community impact.

• Financial support: funding to expand community mental health awareness campaigns, women’s wellbeing programmes and youth outreach activities.
• Professional partnerships: counsellors, psychologists, mental health professionals and healthcare facilities, to improve access to affordable support.
• Capacity building: training the team and community leaders to deliver mental health education and identify people who may need professional help.
• Educational resources: mental health information in accessible formats and local languages.
• Strategic partnerships: organizations, foundations and individuals who can help strengthen the programmes and reach more communities.

Follow CROU on TikTok: @communityredemptionorgug