Dear Friends,
This week, please intercede with us for Dr. Naomi James in Kenya.
Home to 48 million people (86% Christian and 11% Muslim), Kenya has one of the world’s youngest populations, with 73% of Kenyans under the age of 30. Mental illness remains a taboo topic in the country and popular myths concerning its causes prevail. Pandemic-related stress, isolation due to lockdowns, increased unemployment and economic hardship, and disrupted access to mental health services have exacerbated the ongoing mental health crisis. Kenya’s Ministry of Health estimates that 10% of the population suffers from depression or anxiety disorders.
Naomi earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Daystar University in 2016 and currently serves as a clinical psychologist with Oasis Africa, a highly impactful psychological training organization founded by Gladys and Gershon Mwiti, who are also members of the ScholarLeaders Fellowship. Naomi’s research focused on factors that compromise women’s ability to cope with traumatic experiences like war, community violence, sexual assault, and domestic abuse.
In Naomi’s experience, women’s mental health is critical not only for their personal wellbeing, but also for their families’ welfare. Naomi seeks to bolster awareness of mental health issues in Kenya, and to support strong families for children to grow up safely and joyfully.
Naomi shares the following message:
Dear ScholarLeaders,
Greetings! I am grateful to the Lord for his protection upon my life. I thank God for protecting my family, friends, and colleagues. Indeed, 2020 was a challenging year, but God has remained gracious.
I work with the Oasis Africa Center for Transformational Psychology and Trauma in Nairobi, Kenya. At Oasis Africa, the journey has been difficult because our work involves interacting with individuals and groups for therapy and trainings. We have had to adjust to online services, and this has had a negative effect, bringing our numbers down.
Despite all this, we still appreciate God’s provisions and we look forward to a productive year.
Prayer Requests
1. Pray that the Lord will continue to protect us from disease and keep us safe.
2. Pray for economic stability and a conducive environment for businesses and job creation.
3. Pray for Oasis Africa staff as we commit to serve the Lord diligently through our work with clients who seek our services.
4. My family desires to grow deeper in the word of God. Pray that the Lord will give us the zeal to read his word, meditate upon it, and become obedient Christians in action.
I trust the Lord will hear our prayers. May the Lord bless ScholarLeaders.
Regards,
Naomi James