sitawa wafula

digital editor | mental health writer | social entrepreneur

Sitawa Wafula is a mental health writer and founder of My Mind My Funk, one of Africa’s pioneering mental health social enterprises, best known for creating Kenya’s first free mental health support line. After more than a decade on the advocacy front lines, she took an extended professional hiatus. During this time, she restarted her academic journey and provided operations and community engagement support to organizations across academia, faith, and wellness in Lancaster, Philadelphia, and Washington DC.

Now back at My Mind My Funk, Sitawa serves as Digital Editor, guiding the platform’s evolution into a fully digital space that connects Africans on the continent and in the diaspora to mental health stories, resources and opportunities.

Her public-facing work began in 2010 with a personal blog sharing her experiences living with a mental health diagnosis, which earned a Google Africa Connected Award (2014). She founded My Mind My Funk in 2013, and used storytelling, advocacy, and public engagement to help thousands across the continent access mental health information and support.

Under her leadership, MMMF:

• Reached over 11,000 people in its first year via the 22214 SMS support line.

• Hosted awareness events in schools, workplaces, and religious spaces.

• Ran the “Akili ni Mali” (Mind is Wealth) storytelling tour across Kenya and Nigeria.

• Launched a seasonal podcast to normalize conversations around mental health.

• Piloted a mental health academy, mentoring 30 champions from 8 African countries.

Her contributions have earned recognition both in Kenya and internationally, including awards from BET, Aspen Global Innovators (Senior Fellow), Google, and designation as a Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Champion by the Kenya Ministry of Health. She has served on national policy committees, including the Kenya Mental Health Policy (2015–2030) committee, the national mental healthcare audit forum, and the National Epilepsy Coordination Committee.

A seasoned storyteller and public speaker, Sitawa has presented at TED Global Ideas Search, Aspen Ideas Festival, The MOTH, and the UN General Assembly. She is also an Op-Ed contributor, with bylines on leading Kenyan and international outlets, exploring how social and cultural factors shape access to mental health information and care. 

I envision a world where Africans have access to proper mental health information and receive appropriate support wherever they are

~ Sitawa Wafula, MMMF Founder

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