- Mwende said increased femicide incidents in the country were hurting.
- The No Summit Too High director said a problem shared is half solved.
Image: HANDOUT
Professional counselling is one of the strategies which can help reduce femicide incidents in the country.
Mental health champion and mountaineer Dr Faith Mwende said Kenyans should seek counselling services from professionals to prevent such vices from happening in the country.
"As a mental health champion, I urge fellow Kenyans to seek counsel from professional counsellors for us to take care of our mental health," Mwende told the Star on Tuesday.
Mwende said increased femicide incidents in the country were hurting.
The No Summit Too High director said a problem shared is half solved.
"The more we seek help from professional counsellors, the better we take care of our mental health," Mwende said.
She told citizens to avoid being idle and instead engage in physical activities like sports and mountaineering during their leisure time.
"As a mountaineer, the more you go up the mountain, the more you unwind. Your mind clears up and you can connect with God, and nature and reflect on your life," Mwende said.
The Certified Investment and Financial Analyst said she climbs mountains to champion mental health, climate change and peace.
Mwende is the first Kenyan woman to attempt to summit the highest mountain in the world, Mt Everest, in April 2023.
"Mental health is just as important as our physical health among others. Just the way we go for normal check-ups. Sometimes it's not that you have to be sick to go for checkups," Mwende said.
She said counselling is one of the important measures in femicide mitigation.
"Don't wait until people tell you that you're not mentally okay to seek counselling. Just go for routine visits to a professional counsellor," Mwende said.
Mwende said many a times it wasn't easy for one to know that he/she was of mental ill health.
"Many times you might not know that you are going through something. Go see counsellors frequently. We are faced with lots of life challenges every day," Mwende said.
She encouraged Kenyans to go for mental checks either after every three, six or twelve months every year.
"There is no health without mental health. So, you need to start with your mental health just the way you make frequent visits to your dentists."
Image: HANDOUT
On her climbing mountains, she said it is part of her many activities of keeping healthy.
The mountaineer said she climbed some mountains in her Githangathini village, Makueni County during the December holidays.
In early January, she climbed Mt. Kenya for the thirteenth and Mt. Kilimanjaro for the fourth time.
She climbed Mt. Kenya between January 9 - 10, 2024 and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro between January 23 - 27th, 2024.
"During the summits, I connected with nature, thanking God for the previous year and committing this year to God as I come to terms with the reality," Mwende said.
Mwende said going up mountains teaches one about resilience, it's a challenge as well as showing one how to circumvent that challenge whether it's weather, nature, attitude, it's a resilience you build," Mwende said.
"So, as in life, whatever challenge you face, you will face it head-on. Look for ways to solve the problem and move forward. Teamwork, having the right people around you to give you positive vibes and focus to achieve your goals," Mwende said.