Facilitated by: S4S
Hosts: Aga khan Education Services
Venue: School main hall
Date: 18/02/2026
Introduction
Aga khan high school counsellor invited FAJ Counselling and Consultancy to attend the school assembly and engage students in conversations about mental health awareness and support.
Student Speech on Mental Health
The FAJ team arrived just in time to listen to a student deliver a powerful speech on mental health. The speech emphasized the importance of repeatedly addressing mental health concerns, echoing the idea that:
“The things we need to hear the most are often the ones said again and again.”
The student highlighted that although mental health awareness is frequently discussed through posters, social media campaigns, activists, and school assemblies, many young people continue to suffer in silence. She noted that approximately 70% of teenagers do not receive early mental health support, often because they conceal their struggles.
The speech addressed key concerns such as:
- The normalization of silent suffering among young people
- The pressure society places on adolescents to appear strong
- The fear of being misunderstood or dismissed
- The tendency to seek validation online rather than from trusted adults
She encouraged fellow students to:
- Recognize that they are not alone
- Avoid unhealthy coping mechanisms
- Seek support from trusted adults
- Remember that silence delays healing
The message was impactful and set the tone for the engagement that followed.
Q&A Session with FAJ Counselling and Consultancy
Following the speech and remarks from the Teacher on Duty, the FAJ team conducted a brief but insightful Question and Answer session. The professionals responded to the following key questions:
- What is mental health? How can we recognize when someone is struggling? Why are mental health talks important in schools?
- What are the key differences and common misconceptions about disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, OCD, autism, PTSD, and schizophrenia?
The professionals provided clear, age-appropriate explanations that helped define mental health. They addressed common misconceptions and clarified the differences between the mentioned disorders, enabling students and staff to better understand signs, symptoms, and appropriate responses.
The explanations helped the school community “put a face to mental health,” making the topic more relatable and less abstract.
Team Composition
The FAJ Counselling and Consultancy team comprised: A Clinical Psychologist, Counselling Psychologist, An Organizational Psychologist and Two volunteers working with FAJ Counselling and Consultancy
The team’s professionalism, punctuality, and depth of knowledge greatly enriched the assembly session.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Strengthen the Referral Pathway
The FAJ professionals encouraged the school to develop a clear and structured referral system linking the school counsellor, the school sick bay, the teachers, non-teaching staff and external mental health professionals such as FAJ Counselling and Consultancy. This will ensure that students requiring specialized support receive timely and appropriate intervention.
2. Establish a Peer Support System
Selected student leaders should be trained as Mental Health Peer Ambassadors to promote help-seeking behaviour, identify early warning signs among peers, and guide fellow students towards appropriate support services. Since young people often confide in peers first, this initiative can enhance early detection and intervention.
3. Conduct Staff Capacity Building
Organize termly training workshops for teaching and non-teaching staff on:
- Recognizing early signs of psychological distress
- Responding appropriately to student disclosures
- Managing classroom-based mental health concerns
- Preventing staff burnout
This will strengthen the school’s internal support system.
4. Engage Parents and Guardians
Organize sensitization sessions for parents on adolescent mental health, common warning signs, and effective communication strategies. Increased parental awareness supports early intervention and reinforces school efforts.
5. Formalize Collaboration with FAJ Counselling and Consultancy
Consider establishing a formal partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to facilitate:
- Specialist referrals
- Emergency mental health support
- Periodic student engagements
- Professional supervision where necessary
This will promote sustainability of mental health programming.
WAY FORWARD
In alignment with the Ministry of Education’s priorities on learner well-being, safeguarding, and holistic education, the school commits to strengthening its mental health framework through a structured and preventive approach.
Moving forward, the school will prioritize early identification and intervention by strengthening internal referral systems and enhancing collaboration with certified mental health professionals such as FAJ Counselling and Consultancy at Makerere University School of psychology. This aligns with the Ministry’s emphasis on integrating psychosocial support within school systems rather than treating mental health as a stand-alone activity.
The school will also adopt a whole-school approach to mental health by building the capacity of teachers, empowering student leaders as peer advocates, and engaging parents as key stakeholders in adolescent well-being. This supports the Ministry’s recognition that mental health promotion requires coordinated efforts among educators, families, and community partners.
Additionally, efforts will be made to embed mental health awareness into ongoing school programs through structured sensitization, accessible reporting mechanisms, and visible resource materials. These initiatives will contribute to safer learning environments, reduced stigma, and improved academic engagement.
CONCLUSION
The mental health assembly facilitated by the team from FAJ Counselling and Consultancy at Makerere School of psychology was a timely and impactful engagement for the school community. The session not only reinforced the importance of open conversations around mental health but also helped demystify common psychological disorders and address misconceptions that often contribute to stigma and silence.
The student’s speech powerfully highlighted the reality that many young people struggle quietly, often feeling misunderstood or unheard. The subsequent interaction with the mental health professionals provided clarity, reassurance, and practical guidance, enabling students and staff to better understand what mental health is and how to recognize when someone may be in distress.
The engagement demonstrated the value of collaboration between schools and professional mental health providers in strengthening learner support systems. It also reaffirmed the need for continuous awareness, early intervention, and structured referral pathways within the school environment.
Overall, the assembly marked an important step towards fostering a supportive, informed, and mentally healthy school community where students are encouraged to seek help and where mental well-being is recognized as essential to academic and personal success.