Healing Through Play; MTG’s Journey to Intergrated health and well-being and Safe Spaces

MTG champions Mental Health for Adolescent girls and young women across Kenya’s Coast

As the world marks World Mental Health Day, Moving The Goalposts (MTG) is celebrating a year of transformative progress in adolescent mental health across Kenya’s coastal counties alongside its partners and stakeholders in Malindi.

Since launching its integrated wellbeing initiative in 2023, MTG has reached thousands of girls and young women with services designed to improve health, prevent violence, and promote mental resilience.
Delivered in 52 communities across the coastal region in Kilifi, Kwale, Mombasa, and Tana River the program addresses urgent challenges facing adolescent girls, including limited access to sexual and reproductive health services, gender-based violence, child marriage, and female genital mutilation.

Using a unique layered approach that combines physical activity, psychosocial support, and referral pathways to specialized care, the program has been able to achieve the following milestones with support from partners including On Running, Women Win, Together Women Rise, Imago Dei, Girls Opportunity Alliance, FIFA, and Waves for Change.

• Developed a mental health curriculum for coaches and facilitators
• Established psychosocial support groups for teenage mothers
• Trained staff in the Take 5 methodology for integrated wellbeing
• Certified 48 girls and young women as community mental health coaches

These efforts have created safe spaces for girls to process trauma, build resilience, and advocate for change within their families and communities.
Voices of Impact
Kadzo, a trained facilitator, praised the Body Mapping Emotions activity for helping girls connect physical sensations to emotional experiences.
Maimuna, a participant, shared: “I am crying because I’ve just realized how much trauma I’ve been through—and no one ever told me how to cope.”
Mapenzi, another coach, reflected: “This training gave me the tools not just to teach, but to truly connect with girls on a deeper level.”

One of the most powerful stories comes from Mercy, a teenage participant who used her training to address conflict at home:

“I used to feel terrible when my parents fought in front of us. After the training, I spoke to my mother about how it affected us. I asked her to resolve their issues privately.”

Her courage sparked a shift in her household—and highlighted the power of youth-led mental health advocacy.

As MTG joins partners and stakeholders in Malindi to commemorate world mental health day we are calling for sustained investment in adolescent mental health services. “Girls and young women continue to bear the brunt of mental health challenges,” MTG health Coordinator Alice Tama. but with the right tools, support, and partnerships, we are making a commitment to continue leading the way toward healthier communities.”