Mary endured years of abuse from her violent husband before finally making the decision to leave him in 2013. At the time, her two children were 14 and 16 years old. However, starting over on her own proved to be an immense challenge. No matter how hard she tried, Mary felt a deep sense of sadness and hopelessness that robbed her of the will to live and adequately care for her children.
“I would spend most days in bed or in the house doing nothing and just idling around,”
Mary recalls. “I knew I had to work, but I didn’t have the energy for that.”
Just when she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, Mary was approached in 2018 by Rahab, a Community Health Volunteer (CHV) trained by World Vision and the Ministry of Health. Rahab helped Mary realize she was suffering from depression as a result of the trauma caused by her abusive marriage and subsequent divorce. She then equipped Mary with coping tactics to manage her condition.
Rahab is among over 1,500 CHVs in Kenya trained on a World Health Organization low-cost model for managing mental health conditions, known as Problem Management Plus (PM+). Through this approach, CHVs help people self-manage common mental health problems like depression, anxiety, stress and grief by teaching them basic strategies to deal with stress, solve life’s problems, and adopt behaviors that protect against future mental health challenges.
With Rahab’s help, Mary began having more positive thoughts and hope for the future. “I used to lock myself indoors, not willing to talk to anyone,” Mary explains. “But Rahab encouraged me to go out more, make friends and meet people in women’s or church groups to beat the loneliness.”
By learning to open up and share her problems with Rahab and later with trusted friends, Mary felt lighter and less burdened by the thoughts that previously troubled her. “When you share, you realize that others are also going through similar challenges. So you don’t feel alone. They can also help you find a solution to the problem,” she says.
Rahab also taught Mary deep breathing exercises to relieve stress. “I do that every morning and I have also taught my daughter. I find it so relaxing and a good way to start my day,” Mary shares.
These stress management techniques saved Mary’s life and have prevented her from relapsing into depression. She is now able to concentrate on her farm business and take good care of her children. Mary’s story illustrates how community-based interventions can make a significant difference in helping people overcome depression and trauma.