Laura Mwangi is a young kenyan with an undergraduate degree in medical psychology, a diploma in mental health quality rights and a certificate in project management. She has worked as a young leader for the my mind our humanity campaign - Kenyan Hub in officially launching the campaign in the country and also in organizing and hosting face to face and virtual events that aim in creating awareness on mental health and promote mental wellness among young people in high schools and universities. She is also an enthusiastic advocate for the rights of youths in sexual and reproductive health. She enjoys living in the countryside and believes that happiness comes from the simple things in life.

Lian Zeitz is a young mental health advocate with lived experience working to make sure all people are supported with dignity.  Lian has worked with therapeutic programs for struggling youth in 15 states in the US to identify pathways for young people to play a greater role in their own care and the development of mental health programs. He has also worked internationally on areas such as youth-led mental health programming, peer-support, creative arts for mental health, suicide prevention, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse in India, Kenya, Colombia, Bhutan, Indonesia, United States, and Zambia. He is passionate about young people’s experiences in therapeutic programs, trauma-focused community development, the intersection of decolonization and mental health, and pathways to successful transitions in life. At the end of the day, Lian believes we need to bring Love into global mental health discourse and practice.

Grace Gatera is a lived experience mental health  advocate, living in Kigali, Rwanda. She is a young leader for My Mind Our Humanity and is passionate about lived experience participation in mental health care, science and research. Grace is dedicated to seeing a world where specialized mental health care and meaningful youth involvement is available for everyone but particularly for the marginalized, underresourced, and underrepresented populations of the world.

As a Spotlight Speaker at DIMH2019, Grace Gatera shared her insights around mental health, sexual health and financial health. Listen to her talk here.

Kumba Philip-Joe is a female youth leader from Liberia, who is involved with youth, especially less privileged teenagers and issues affecting them. Over the past seven years she has coordinated a program called the Enhanced Well Child Care Program, established to give social and medical support to less fortunate pregnant teenagers, teenage mothers, and their infants who mostly have been abandoned by families or society. In this role she mentors and leads youths in the church, community, and youth groups. She is very passionate about making an impact especially when it concerns mental health. She is a youth leader of the mental health campaign My Mind Our Humanity and has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology. She is currently establishing a mental health support group in Liberia and is in pursuit of a master’s degree in International Development.