We Matter Too
MLC Voyager | Sentum Scientific Solutions
We matter too is a youth led mental health intervention involving the use of hip-hop and rap music played in barbershops to initiate conversation on mental health and address mental health stigma among the youths. Trained barbers deliver Doing What Matters in Times of Stress (DWM) intervention among youths with non-severe psychological distress. Selected youths who receive the mental health intervention are empowered with entrepreneurship and life skills. The intervention addresses mental health stigma among youths, makes mental health services accessible to youths in their comfort zones and addresses route cause of mental health problems, unemployment.
45,000 Lives Impacted
Sentum Scientific Solutions trained 30 barbers. Each barber saw approximately 10 youth clients per day who visited their barbershop and approximately 45,000 youths were exposed to the mental health themed music or were engaged by the barber about the project and discussed mental health information.
A total of 631 young people were offered the DWM intervention and 200 received life skills and entrepreneurship training and support.
The initial pilot in Western Kenya found the intervention to be highly effective. Compared to those who didn’t receive the program, pilot participants showed 95% fewer signs of depression, 82% less anxiety, 71% less stress, 86% fewer personal problems and a fourfold increase in resilience, meaning they were much better at coping with challenges.
Participants reported the music having made them feel comfortable to discuss mental health with the barber. The music message was also highlighted as helpful in improving their awareness on mental health.
The project was highlighted on ‘People Fixing the World’ BBC podcast.
The Innovation
The We Matter Too project involves the training of youths barbers as helpers in mental health awareness and Doing What Matters in Times of Stress (DWM) intervention delivery to their youths clients.
Sentum Scientific Solutions worked with 30 youths and five local musicians from Western Kenya to develop mental health-themed music messaging that could resonate well with the youths. The organisation then contracted five local musicians to produce mental health-themed music in local languages used in Western Kenya. The songs focused on mental health awareness, internalised mental health stigma, and experienced discrimination related to mental health.
Sentum Scientific Solutions also mapped existing local mental health-themed music and sought permission from the musicians to use the songs. The songs were delivered to the recruited and trained barbers of the project to play them in their barbershops. As the youth were having their hair cuts or visiting the barbershop to relax or chat, they could listen to the music which played in the background. The music aimed to sensitise the youth and create an open discussion between the barber and the youth client on mental health, create awareness of mental health, and address the stigma associated with mental health. It also aimed to act as the barbers' entry point for introducing DWM to the youths.
The barbers deliver the evidence-based DWM intervention among youths aged 18-29 screened by research assistants to have non-severe psychological distress. Sentum Scientific Solutions then empower youths who received the DWM intervention and who reported unemployment or lack of capital as their main problem with entrepreneurship and life skills before giving them small grants to start their businesses. They youth receive continuous support and mentorship from Sentum Scientific Solutions’ entrepreneurship experts for their business to thrive. By reaching this specific group where they are, culturally, emotionally, and physically, Sentum Scientific Solutions address a significant service gap and reduce long-term mental health risks through early, community-based support.
Sentum Scientific Solutions’ intervention is unique, culturally appropriate and innovative as barbers are fellow young people and trusted figures in the setting, hence have already established relationships between the target youths and the barbers. Many young people spend their free time in barbershops, haircuts, or chit-chatting. Therefore, the barbershop is a convenient place to reach them, especially those who would otherwise never visit a mental health service point. Local music is a culturally acceptable and powerful tool for delivering Mental health education in an engaging, memorable way. Besides, it helps create emotional connections, hence improving engagement and retention.
As part of scaling plans, Sentum Scientific Solutions plan to create a national wide association of barbers and use the platform to train more barbers to deliver the intervention to their youth clients. Sentum Scientific Solutions also plan to work with more local artists in creating mental health themed music, do road shows to create public mental health awareness and help reduce public mental health stigma, a key barrier to mental health service uptake.
Sentum Scientific Solutions are actively seeking for funding for scaleup.
About Sentum Scientific Solutions
Mission: Improving the health and living conditions of the vulnerable through advancement of innovation and cutting edge research.
Vision: A global community where everyone is physically and financially healthy and food secure.
