Kobe’s story: Being a mentor can change a life

“Boys in the UWEAST program have developed strong leadership skills, improved academically, engaged more in their community, gained confidence, and shown positive behavioral changes. They have also bonded, become role models for each other, and developed a positive outlook with higher aspirations and outcomes. Many young men have emerged as inspiring role models, guiding our community toward a hopeful and uplifting future,” shares Sahra Abdi, Executive Director at UWEAST.

This is what UWEAST is all about: a future full of hope and opportunity.

The United Women’s East Africa Support Team (UWEAST) have been able to develop strategies to tackle common problems, including accessing treatment for depression and PTSD and enabling the young men to avoid the cycle of gangs, drugs, and prison. This unique Movember-funded program uses basketball to bring together young East African men to connect, manage their mental health, and learn life skills to help them on their paths forward. These connections build on the community’s resilience and strong sense of culture.

The program hopes to provide young men who feel hopeless about their future with leadership and career development training. Many of the boys who have come through the UWEAST program are now leaders in their community. Like Kobe, a participant-turned mentor who is now pursuing a career in mental health.

“I needed role models. I needed support. My life back then is so different than it is now. Back then, I was just focused on maybe going to school, hanging out with a couple of friends, but I was distanced from my community. Then I started to come into my community through UWEAST. It gave me a support system. Today, being a man means being a role model, a mentor.

It's important that these kids have a mentor because it could literally change their life. Just one person that you can look up to can get you into places that you never thought you could go. Having this UWEAST space here is creating opportunities for the youth to come out, do better, and have a better life. I went on and graduated with a Master’s degree in counselling, but I’m still here, because the work is not done yet.”

Learn more about Movember’s mental health programming for boys and young men.