A Man must cry

A Man Must Cry is a community-based mental health movement that arises from lived experiences. Founded in 2025 by James Nyabera, a dedicated advocate for men's emotional well-being, the initiative aims to enhance mental health support for men across Africa. We are mental health survivors and storytellers committed to fostering community engagement that challenges harmful cultural norms equating masculinity with emotional silence. Our goal is to create safe spaces where men and boys can openly share their vulnerabilities without facing stigma.

To create safe, stigma-free spaces and interventions that support men’s emotional well-being, we focus on community engagement, education, and advocacy to foster a mental health movement centered on empathy and healing.

Imagine a community where men can freely express their emotions, engage in open dialogue about emotional well-being, seek help without fear of judgment, and actively contribute to the mental health movement while living mentally healthy lives.

Break stigma, foster community engagement, and build emotional literacy to encourage open dialogue around emotional well-being within the mental health movement.

Promote emotional well-being and mental health awareness through community engagement activities such as walks, peer-led sessions, creative advocacy, and creating safe spaces for men and youth. While our primary focus is on men’s mental health, we collaborate with women, youth, and allies to strengthen the mental health movement and foster a supportive, inclusive environment.

We offer a monthly Healing Walk, which serves as a safe and reflective space for community engagement. During these walks, participants engage in guided conversations that focus on emotional well-being, resilience, and contributing to the broader mental health movement.

Our fathers, partners, brothers, and friends are facing a mental health crisis that rarely gets the attention it deserves. Men are dying too young, and we can’t afford to stay silent. In Kenya and across Africa, men’s mental health is a silent crisis that demands our community engagement. Suicide rates among Kenyan men are three times higher than those of women (WHO, 2023). Depression and anxiety affect nearly 1 in 4 men, yet less than 20% seek help due to stigma and a lack of safe spaces. Cultural norms in many communities teach boys to 'be strong' by suppressing emotions, which results in untreated mental health challenges, strained relationships, substance abuse, and ultimately higher rates of suicide among men. To foster emotional well-being, we need to kickstart a mental health movement that encourages open conversations and support.

1. Compassion – We lead with empathy and care in our community engagement efforts.

2. Lived Truth – Our pain births purpose, driving our mental health movement.

3. Courage – We challenge harmful norms with bold, authentic conversations to foster emotional well-being.

4. Inclusivity – We engage men, women, and youth in building solutions together, reinforcing our commitment to community engagement.

5. Integrity – We are transparent and accountable in all we do, reinforcing trust within the mental health movement.

6. Hope – We believe that healing is possible for every individual and essential for emotional well-being.

7. Collaboration – We rise through partnership and co-creation, enhancing our community engagement.

8. Sustainability – We build long-term solutions for mental health, not quick fixes.

We believe that when men are provided with safe spaces to express themselves, access to mental health support, and encouragement from their families and communities, they can cultivate healthier coping strategies. This commitment to community engagement will lead to:  

· Reduced stigma around mental health.  

· Stronger family and community bonds.  

· Lower rates of depression, substance abuse, and suicide among men.  

Our Change Pathway:  

Awareness → Engagement → Healing Spaces → Skills & Support → Healthier Men & Communities → Strengthened Emotional Well-Being through the Mental Health Movement.

· Community engagement through dialogues and forums focused on men’s emotional well-being. 

· Peer-to-peer mental health support groups fostering connection. 

· Suicide prevention campaigns specifically targeting men and boys as part of the mental health movement. 

· Training programs for men, women, and youth aimed at becoming mental health allies. 

· Awareness merchandise, such as A MAN MUST CRY branded t-shirts, promoting emotional well-being. 

· Storytelling projects that share lived experiences to inspire community engagement.

1. Men’s Mental Health Circles – Regular safe spaces where men connect, share openly, and foster emotional well-being through community engagement without judgment. 

2. Just Talk to Us – A creative advocacy platform employing spoken word, storytelling, and media to break the silence around men’s mental health, contributing to the broader mental health movement. 

3. Men’s Suicide Prevention Campaign – A grassroots movement dedicated to raising awareness, offering support, and mobilizing communities year-round to prevent suicide and promote mental well-being among boys and men. 

4. School & Youth Engagement Program – Interactive mental health education and mentorship designed for boys and young men within schools.