One Question Can Save a Life: Why Talking About Suicide Matters
One Question Can Save a Life: Why Talking About Suicide Matters
One Question Can Save a Life: Why Talking About Suicide Matters
Sierra Leone’s history is marked by profound adversity, including a brutal civil war (1991–2002) and the devastating Ebola outbreak (2014–2016). These events have left deep psychological scars on the population. The World Health Organization estimates that 10% of the country’s seven million people suffer from mental health issues, though the actual number may be higher due to underreporting .
Studies have highlighted the pervasive nature of trauma in Sierra Leone. A Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) report found that 90% of respondents had witnessed violence, with 38% experiencing trauma-related headaches and 12% reporting body pains . Additionally, research indicates that anxiety, depression, and PTSD are common among Ebola survivors in regions like Bombali district.
Doctors Without Borders
BioMed Central
In response to these challenges, the Kono Bui’ Foundation has emerged as a beacon of hope. Founded by Sia Moiwa, the organization focuses on mental health recovery and trauma healing in Sierra Leone. Their initiatives include trauma-informed workshops, mental health education, and community-based healing programs .
By addressing trauma head-on, the Kono Bui’ Foundation aims to:
Enhance Community Resilience: Empowering individuals with coping mechanisms to foster stronger, more cohesive communities.
Reduce Stigma: Promoting open conversations about mental health to dismantle longstanding taboos.
Improve Access to Care: Bringing mental health services to underserved areas, ensuring broader reach and impact.
Addressing trauma is crucial for Sierra Leone’s path to recovery and development. Organizations like the Kono Bui’ Foundation play a vital role in healing the nation’s psychological wounds, paving the way for a more resilient and hopeful future.
Sierra Leone’s history is marked by profound adversity, including a brutal civil war (1991–2002) and the devastating Ebola outbreak (2014–2016). These events have left deep psychological scars on the population. The World Health Organization estimates that 10% of the country’s seven million people suffer from mental health issues, though the actual number may be higher due to underreporting .
Studies have highlighted the pervasive nature of trauma in Sierra Leone. A Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) report found that 90% of respondents had witnessed violence, with 38% experiencing trauma-related headaches and 12% reporting body pains . Additionally, research indicates that anxiety, depression, and PTSD are common among Ebola survivors in regions like Bombali district.
Doctors Without Borders
BioMed Central
In response to these challenges, the Kono Bui’ Foundation has emerged as a beacon of hope. Founded by Sia Moiwa, the organization focuses on mental health recovery and trauma healing in Sierra Leone. Their initiatives include trauma-informed workshops, mental health education, and community-based healing programs .
By addressing trauma head-on, the Kono Bui’ Foundation aims to:
Enhance Community Resilience: Empowering individuals with coping mechanisms to foster stronger, more cohesive communities.
Reduce Stigma: Promoting open conversations about mental health to dismantle longstanding taboos.
Improve Access to Care: Bringing mental health services to underserved areas, ensuring broader reach and impact.
Addressing trauma is crucial for Sierra Leone’s path to recovery and development. Organizations like the Kono Bui’ Foundation play a vital role in healing the nation’s psychological wounds, paving the way for a more resilient and hopeful future.
Available in Kono District operates 24/7 and is staffed by trained psychosocial counselors and a community health officer manager. The helpline provides confidential support for various mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, substance abuse, trauma, and crises such as suicidal thoughts or domestic violence. Callers receive counseling, mental health education, and referrals to local health facilities like the PIH-supported Koidu Government Hospital and Wellbody Clinic for further care. This initiative aims to improve access to mental health services in rural areas, addressing the challenges posed by limited resources and stigma surrounding mental health in Sierra Leone.
Founded in 2011, the Mental Health Coalition is a key advocacy body for mental health reform in Sierra Leone. It brings together mental health service users, professionals, and NGOs to improve access to quality mental health care.
Services Offered
Mental health advocacy and awareness campaigns
Stakeholder collaboration on policy
Community-based mental health initiatives
Support for people with psychosocial disabilities
City of Rest is one of the few in-patient mental health facilities in Sierra Leone. It serves people experiencing mental illness, substance abuse issues, and trauma-related challenges.
Services Offered
Residential care for mental illness and addiction
Counseling and therapy
Spiritual support and reintegration assistance
Outreach to vulnerable groups
+232 76 644104
Grafton, Freetown
The only government-run psychiatric hospital in the country, providing specialized services for severe mental health conditions. Though under-resourced, it serves as the national referral center for mental illness.
Services Offered
Psychiatric inpatient services
Medication management
Training for psychiatric nurses and clinical staff
Note: There are ongoing efforts by partners such as WHO and CBM to improve the infrastructure and services at the hospital.
Kissy, Freetown
Partners In Health (PIH) integrates mental health into its primary health services. Their community-based approach includes training health workers and providing psychosocial support in Kono.
Services Offered
Mental health screening and counseling at community clinics
Training for local health professionals
Treatment for depression, anxiety, and trauma
Youth and adolescent mental health outreach
Kono District
A local NGO focusing on mental health and psychosocial support in both urban and rural areas. It works closely with schools, communities, and health workers.
Services Offered
Trauma healing sessions and mental health education
Youth counseling and resilience building
Gender-based violence (GBV) survivor support
Integration of mental health into primary care
info@wellbeingfoundation.org
Sierra Leone’s history is marked by profound adversity, including a brutal civil war (1991–2002) and the devastating Ebola outbreak (2014–2016). These events have left deep psychological scars on the population. The World Health Organization estimates that 10% of the country’s seven million people suffer from mental health issues, though the actual number may be higher due to underreporting .
Studies have highlighted the pervasive nature of trauma in Sierra Leone. A Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) report found that 90% of respondents had witnessed violence, with 38% experiencing trauma-related headaches and 12% reporting body pains . Additionally, research indicates that anxiety, depression, and PTSD are common among Ebola survivors in regions like Bombali district.
Doctors Without Borders
BioMed Central
In response to these challenges, the Kono Bui’ Foundation has emerged as a beacon of hope. Founded by Sia Moiwa, the organization focuses on mental health recovery and trauma healing in Sierra Leone. Their initiatives include trauma-informed workshops, mental health education, and community-based healing programs .
By addressing trauma head-on, the Kono Bui’ Foundation aims to:
Enhance Community Resilience: Empowering individuals with coping mechanisms to foster stronger, more cohesive communities.
Reduce Stigma: Promoting open conversations about mental health to dismantle longstanding taboos.
Improve Access to Care: Bringing mental health services to underserved areas, ensuring broader reach and impact.
Addressing trauma is crucial for Sierra Leone’s path to recovery and development. Organizations like the Kono Bui’ Foundation play a vital role in healing the nation’s psychological wounds, paving the way for a more resilient and hopeful future.
Mental health is no longer a luxury topic. It is a national priority; one that determines how children learn, how communities thrive, and how a country grows. Sierra Leone has made some remarkable progress in rebuilding systems, strengthening education, and empowering young people. But one area remains deeply overlooked: mental health education.
Sierra Leone is entering a new chapter, one where the well-being of our people, especially our young people, can no longer be treated as an afterthought. For decades, mental health has lived in the shadows, shaped by silence, stigma, and a lack of resources. But the truth is simple: our country cannot move forward without prioritizing the emotional, psychological, and social health of our communities.
If Sierra Leone is to build a strong, resilient, forward-looking generation, mental wellness must become part of our culture, our schools, and our homes. This is not just a health issue; it is a nation-building strategy. Every day, students walk into classrooms carrying stress, trauma, grief, and responsibilities far beyond their age. Families are doing their best with limited tools. Communities are facing rising challenges that affect both safety and hope. And yet, within all of this, there is a growing movement: a collective desire to learn, to heal, and to build something better. This is where mental health education becomes essential. When we equip young people with coping skills, emotional awareness, resilience, and supportive trusted adults, we change the trajectory of their lives. We reduce vulnerability to substance misuse, violence, school dropout, depression, and suicide. We strengthen families and empower communities.
We nurture a generation capable of leading Sierra Leone into a healthier future.
The Kono Bui’ Foundation is committed to advancing this movement; one training, one school, one conversation at a time. Wellness is not a luxury. It is a foundation. And building a culture of wellness is one of the most powerful investments we can make in the future of our nation.
Mental health challenges affect thousands of Sierra Leoneans every year; children, youths, and adults alike. Many people face daily pressures such as poverty, unemployment, trauma, gender-based violence, unstable homes, and the lingering emotional effects of past national crises.
Sierra Leone faces one of the largest mental-health treatment gaps in West Africa. Limited infrastructure, a shortage of trained professionals, and lack of services in rural districts have created a situation where many people, especially youth, suffer in silence.
Key realities shaping the nation’s mental health landscape include:
These realities paint a picture of a nation where mental health is at the center of almost every social challenge, from education and safety to poverty and national productivity. Many people normalize stress and emotional pain as “part of life”
Children and youth often internalize anger, anxiety, or low self-esteem because they have no safe space to express themselves. We cannot continue with a silent crisis. The emotional wellbeing of our people directly shapes the nation’s future.
Despite progress in awareness, stigma remains one of the biggest obstacles to mental wellness in Sierra Leone.
Many individuals avoid speaking up because mental illness is still associated with shame, curses, spiritual punishment, or weakness. This leads to:
Families often hide early warning signs
Because of this, families hide their pain. Youths struggle alone. Teachers misinterpret emotional distress as “bad behavior.” Men bury their feelings because society demands toughness. Parents may dismiss symptoms as stubbornness, laziness, or disrespect without understanding underlying mental health struggles.
In many areas, mental health conditions are still explained only in spiritual terms. While faith and prayer are powerful supports, relying on them without professional or psychosocial help leaves many young people without the care they need.
In many communities, mental health issues carry heavy stigma. People fear being labeled:
Stigma doesn’t just harm individuals; it weakens entire communities, because untreated mental health conditions fuel violence, addiction, poor academic outcomes, and generational trauma. Stigma delays help, deepens suffering, and slowly destroys potential. When a child or youth is afraid to share what they are going through, they lose access to early support; placing them at risk for depression, addiction, school dropout, or violence. This culture of silence must be broken.
Strong mental health doesn’t start in adulthood; it starts in childhood. Teaching young people about emotions, stress, and healthy coping strategies at an early age creates lifelong resilience and protects them from negative outcomes. Mental health education, introduced early and consistently, can transform lives. Children who understand emotions and coping skills grow into adults who are resilient, confident, and productive.
Key areas early mental health education should focus on:
Children who experience trauma often struggle emotionally later in life. Teaching parents, teachers, and young people to recognize ACEs helps prevent long-term harm. ACEs include abuse, neglect, violence, and household instability. Research shows that children with high ACE scores are more likely to develop:
Educating parents and teachers about ACEs allows them to intervene early and provide protective environments.
Resilience is the ability to bounce back from challenges. They handle stress better, build healthier friendships, and stay focused on their goals; essential traits for Sierra Leone’s young population. Young people can learn resilience skills such as:
These tools empower them to face stress without turning to destructive habits.
Simple skills like breathing exercises, emotional vocabulary, journaling, conflict resolution, and self-awareness can prevent bigger problems. When children learn coping tools early, they are less likely to turn to harmful behaviors as adults.When students learn how to manage anger, stress, and anxiety, they become:
Early mental health education is not just a program; it is prevention, protection, and empowerment. Mental health education is not an “extra subject.” It is life preparation.
Kono Bui’ is becoming a powerful voice, transformational force with a solution-driven movement in Sierra Leone’s mental health landscape. The organization focuses on education, awareness, and practical support where young people and families need it most.
Through outreaches, workshops, school programs, and youth-focused engagements, the movement is:
In Schools
In Churches
In Communities
This grassroots work is building a new culture: one where mental wellness is normalized, discussed, and celebrated.
Kono Bui’ is bridging the gap between traditional values, faith, and modern mental-health understanding, making support accessible, relatable, and culturally grounded.
A mentally healthy generation is the foundation of a successful nation. Mental health is not just a health issue, it is an education issue, a security issue, and a development issue.
Students who feel safe, understood, and emotionally stable learn better. They concentrate longer, participate more, and stay committed to their studies. Students with good mental wellness:
When schools ignore mental health, learning will always suffer.
Mental health education reduces violence, bullying, substance abuse, and risky behaviors. When young people understand themselves, they choose healthier paths.
Untreated mental health issues contribute to:
Mental wellness creates safer neighborhoods.
School & Community Safety
Sierra Leone’s future depends on people who can:
These skills are shaped by mental wellness. A nation grows when its people are emotionally strong.
Sierra Leone’s future development depends as much on emotional resilience as it does on political or economic reforms.
The mental health crisis cannot be solved by the government alone. It requires collective responsibility; parents, teachers, pastors, youth leaders, chiefs, community groups, NGOs and every citizen—to rise.
Parents: Talk openly with your children. Teach them emotional vocabulary. Listen without judgment.
Teachers & schools: Include mental health topics in class discussions. Watch for signs of distress:
Churches & mosques: Normalize conversations on emotional healing. Integrate mental wellness into youth ministries.
Community leaders: Create safe spaces where young people can express themselves.
Every citizen: Challenge stigma wherever you see it. Encourage others to seek help.
We all have a role in building a mentally healthy Sierra Leone.
CONCLUSION
A strong nation is not built only with roads, electricity, and infrastructure. It is built with healthy minds. When mental health education becomes part of our culture, Sierra Leone will experience a new generation of confident, peaceful, and visionary leaders.
On this note, Sierra Leone stands at a crossroads. Our young people deserve a nation where mental well-being is understood, protected, and prioritized. Through early education, community support, and grassroots initiatives like Kono Bui’, we can break cycles of trauma, reduce stigma, empower youth, and build a future where wellness is a national strength, not a national crisis.
The movement has already begun.
Now is the time for every Sierra Leonean to join.
Kono Bui’ is lighting a spark. Now the rest of the country must help fan the flame.
Let us rise together. Let us build a culture of wellness.
For our children. For our communities. For Sierra Leone’s future.
Across Sierra Leone, a quiet crisis is unfolding: one that is stealing the potential, dignity, and wellbeing of an entire generation. The rise of kush has become more than a substance-use issue; it’s a public health emergency, a community concern, and a mirror reflecting the deeper wounds our young people carry. Behind every headline about addiction is a young person trying to numb pain, escape hopelessness, or find belonging in a world that has not offered them enough support.
In Sierra Leone and many parts of Africa, substance misuse among young people is becoming a growing concern, not only because of the physical harm it causes, but because of the emotional, social, and spiritual damage that follows. Behind every young person struggling with drugs or alcohol is a deeper story: a longing for connection, identity, safety, and belonging.
What many communities do not always see is the connection between substance use and untreated mental health struggles. Depression, trauma, unemployment, lack of purpose, and limited access to care are all driving factors that make youth vulnerable to substances like kush. This epidemic is not only destroying physical health, it is weakening emotional resilience, disrupting families, and threatening the future of Sierra Leone’s human capital.
The Kono Bui’ Foundation believes that addressing kush requires more than punishment or stigma. It requires a trauma-informed response rooted in compassion, education, community investment, mental health awareness, and opportunities that give young people a reason to choose life, purpose, and hope.
This article explores how substance misuse impacts youth, the mental health challenges they face, and how communities can rebuild strong support systems through cultural identity, family guidance, and initiatives like Kono Bui’s outreach programs.
Substance misuse is not just a health issue; it is a relational issue. At its core, addiction is not just a chemical dependency, it is a breakdown of connection. Young people turn to drugs when they feel disconnected from themselves, their families, their culture, and their sense of purpose.
For many youths, drugs or alcohol become a temporary escape from:
Substance misuse widens that gap in painful ways:
Many young people who misuse substances describe feeling “lost,” “empty,” or “numb.” Their goals, talents, and sense of direction fade as the drug takes center stage. The drug becomes the identity:
Their true identity: creative, intelligent, hopeful—gets overshadowed, because they feel lost, ashamed, confused, or out of control.
Substance misuse creates cycles of mistrust, conflict, and disappointment. Parents feel helpless while young people feel misunderstood. Homes become battlegrounds rather than safe spaces.
Trust breaks down. Communication becomes strained. Misunderstandings increase.
Communities begin to withdraw from struggling youth out of fear or stigma. Young people isolate themselves and drift away from cultural traditions, faith practices, and community structures that once offered belonging, choose to spend time only with peers who reinforce the addiction.
Dreams become blurry. Confidence disappears. Life feels meaningless.
Addiction thrives where there is a lack of:
Substance misuse is a silent thief; stealing belonging, hope, and identity.
When the community is unable to provide belonging, the drug becomes the substitute. This is where the real damage begins.
Substance misuse does not only harm the body, it profoundly affects mental and emotional health. Young people often struggle with symptoms that are misunderstood or dismissed.
Young people affected by substance misuse often carry heavy emotional and psychological burdens. Beneath the behavior are unspoken mental health struggles such as:
Some youths also experience:
These symptoms are not signs of “bad character.”
They are signs of emotional pain.
Common Mental Health Symptoms Include:
These symptoms are often not recognized as mental health issues. Instead, youth are labeled as “spoiled,” “stubborn,” “lazy,” or “possessed,” which pushes them further into shame and addiction.
What young people need is not condemnation; they need understanding, support, and clear pathways to healing.
African communities have always been built on the strength of elders, shared values, and spiritual grounding. These traditional systems play a powerful role in healing substance misuse.
Sierra Leone’s greatest strength lies in its culture, spirituality, and deep communal ties. These are powerful tools for healing when used with wisdom, compassion, and knowledge.
Traditional practices, storytelling, music, dance, and shared values give young people a sense of belonging. Reconnecting youth to their cultural identity can rebuild self-worth and pride.
When youth reconnect with their roots: language, traditions, storytelling, music, and community rituals—they rediscover pride, purpose, and belonging. Culture heals what isolation destroys.
Cultural grounding helps youth remember:
“I come from a strong people. I am rooted. I belong.”
Churches and mosques can create safe, judgment-free spaces for:
Faith leaders are among the most trusted voices in Sierra Leone. Churches and mosques can play a transformative role by:
Faith restores dignity and offers spiritual tools for resilience.
Elders carry wisdom and authority. Their involvement in guiding youth, mediating conflicts, and providing emotional mentorship is vital.
Traditional support systems still have the power to rescue and redirect the youth, if we activate them intentionally.
Elders traditionally guide, mentor, and counsel younger generations. With the right training, they can be:
When cultural identity and faith combine with modern mental-health understanding, healing becomes powerful, personal, and lasting.
Preventing substance misuse starts long before a young person picks up a drug or drink.
Prevention is better than cure, and when it comes to substance misuse, prevention is essential.
For Families
For Schools
Create anti-drug awareness programs: Partner with organizations like Kono Bui’ for workshops and capacity building because prevention is always better and easier than rehabilitation. It’s important to know that prevention is not luck, it is intentional investment in relationships, structure, and knowledge.
Addiction true recovery goes beyond stopping the substance, it is rebuilding the whole person. Holistic support recognizes that youth need emotional, social, spiritual, and economic restoration.
EFFECTIVE SUPPORT FOR YOUTH MUST COMBINE:
Professional therapy to address trauma, triggers, and emotional wounds.
Helps youth understand their emotions, triggers, and patterns.
A stable adult who guides, listens, and models healthy behavior.
A trusted adult can provide:
Mentorship is one of the strongest predictors of long-term recovery.
Empowering youth with employable skills to build confidence and independence because young people need opportunities, not just advice. Skills training gives them purpose, independence, and motivation to stay clean.
Youth recovering together feel less alone and more encouraged. People heal faster when surrounded by others who understand their pain.
Peer groups help youth:
Including faith practices, community elders, and cultural rituals creates a sense of belonging and identity.
Healing the home environment is essential to prevent relapse.
Helping young people rediscover dreams, identity, and direction.
Holistic recovery transforms youth from “addicts” into leaders, contributors, and community builders.
“You are more than your addiction. You can rise again.”
Kono Bui’ is pioneering mental wellness and youth resilience programs across Sierra Leone. Our work focuses on restoring dignity, strengthening mental health, and building community-led support systems.
Kono Bui’ is more than a mental-health initiative, it is a movement of restoration. Through structured programs rooted in culture, compassion, and community, Kono Bui’ is reshaping how Sierra Leone understands and responds to youth struggles.
Mental health awareness campaigns
Kono Bui’ conducts community and school campaigns that educate young people about:
These campaigns replace silence with knowledge and empower youth to speak openly.
Training for Teachers, Parents, and Faith Leaders
Kono Bui’ equips key community influencers with tools to:
This creates a safety net around every child.
Through leadership training, self-esteem workshops, emotional education, and mentorship opportunities, Kono Bui’ helps youth rebuild confidence and direction.
Community education on substance misuse
Bringing elders, parents, youth, and faith communities together fosters understanding, breaks stigma, and strengthens communal support systems.
Counseling and emotional first aid training.
Kono Bui’ challenges negative societal labels and promotes a new message:
“Our youth are not the problem—they are the future.
They need support, not shame.”
Through these interventions, Kono Bui’ is creating a new culture, one where mental health is prioritized, substance misuse is addressed with dignity, and young people are equipped with the tools to thrive.
Our approach is simple but powerful:
Heal the mind, strengthen the community, protect the youth.
By shifting conversations from stigma to support, Kono Bui’ is helping families and communities create safe spaces where young people can heal, grow, and rise into leadership.
A Collective Responsibility
Substance misuse in Sierra Leone is not just a youth problem, it is a community challenge and a national call to action. Healing requires all of us. Substance misuse does not begin in isolation and recovery cannot happen in isolation.
It takes:
By strengthening cultural identity, promoting mental health education, and embracing holistic recovery, we can build a future where youth are protected, empowered, and connected to a strong sense of belonging.
Together, with the bold leadership of initiatives like Kono Bui’, Sierra Leone can rise above the crisis and create communities where every young person feels seen, supported, and valued.
Our children are worth fighting for.
Our youth deserve a future free from addiction.
Our communities deserve healing.
Together, we can build a safety net, strong enough to catch and restore our young people and go beyond the high into a future of resilience, identity, and hope.