Read in your language / Soma kwa lugha yako
Pan-African · Youth-Led · Since 2022

Mental Health Help
That Feels Like Home.

FSN helps young people make sense of their mental health through storytelling and community. We train everyday people to become mental health first aiders — so no one has to struggle unseen.

Join us to heal, be seen, and help others do the same.

Founded by Laurette Uwituze Phocas · Nairobi, Kenya

Two FSN community members holding YouAreNotAlone sign
YouAreNotAlone · Nairobi
FSN group at campaign event
#OfImportanceNiWewe
FSN team in orange vests at Niskizee Festival
Niskizee Festival · 2025
Two women holding FSN campaign signs
YouAreSeen Campaign
Our Big Goal

We want to train 1 Million Mental Health First Aiders across Africa.

Every trained Fancied Aider touches 50 lives a year. That's 50 million people reached. We're building a continent-wide safety net — one community, one story at a time.

1M
Fancied Aiders — our goal
136 trained · help us get there
200K
Lives Touched
136
Trained Aiders
9
Events in 2025
12
Partner Orgs
6
Campaigns Run

Real People.
Real Healing.

Stories from the community — unfiltered, honest, and life-changing.

Young woman sharing story at FSN Social Clinic outdoor gathering
"For the first time in years, I spoke my truth out loud. FSN gave me back my voice — and my life."
FSN Community Member · Nairobi
#YouAreSeen
Fancied Aiders graduates proudly holding MHFA certificates
"I couldn't afford therapy. The Fancied Aiders course gave me the language to express my needs and the tools to seek help."
Fancied Aider Graduate · Nairobi
#Niskizee
Two women in conversation at FSN community event
"Becoming a Fancied Aider changed how I show up for everyone around me. Transformative."
Nia M. · Lagos, Nigeria · Fancied Aider
Fancied Aider
Community Gallery

In the Field, With the People.

Large FSN community gathering Valentine's Picnic
Valentine's Picnic · Nairobi 2025
Woman sharing story at FSN Social Clinic
Social Clinic · Nairobi
Community member with Niskizee publication
Niskizee Publication Launch
FSN team at OfImportanceNiWewe festival
#OfImportanceNiWewe Festival · 2025
Attendee reading at FSN night event
FSN Night Event · Book Club
Our People

The Faces Behind the Movement

FSN is built by deeply committed young Africans who believe in the power of community and storytelling to change lives.

Laurette Uwituze Phocas
Founder & Visionary
Nairobi, Kenya
Judah Njoroge
Youth Programmes Lead
East Africa
Wendy Kabiga
Licensed Therapist
Nairobi, Kenya
You?
Could be you
Fancied Aider
Your City, Africa
How We Got Here

From one story to a continental movement.

FSN started in 2022 as a personal creative outlet — and grew into a collective that has touched 200,000 lives across Africa. Here's how we built this, step by step.

"The future of Africa is being written by the hands of its youth — hands that have carried heavy burdens, yet remain eager to build, learn, and care for one another."

— Laurette Uwituze Phocas, Visionary Founder
2022

The spark

FSN launched as a storytelling movement — believing narratives could be a diagnostic tool for a continent facing a mental health crisis.

2023

Into the community

"A Letter to My Younger Self" campaign. First community picnic for 73 students. Digital storytelling became physical healing spaces.

2024

Festivals & reach

"You Are Seen" festival for 150 women. Niskizee festival for men. 6 storytelling campaigns. 12 partner organisations. Growing across East Africa.

2025

Fancied Aiders launch

Official ALGEE-backed MHFA curriculum. 6 cohorts. 136 certified Aiders. Cities Rise Innovation Award. Peace First seed grant. National TV.

2026

The Aider First Year

Aider-led Social Clinics. Women's capacity building. "Thriving at Work" module. Corporate partnerships. Expanding to Rwanda.

I couldn't afford therapy, so I enrolled for the Fancied Aiders course. It gave me the language to express my needs and the tools to seek help.
Fancied Aider
Cohort 4 · Nairobi
In our culture, we don't talk about these things. Seeing everyone share at the festival gave me permission to finally speak my truth.
Campaign Participant
#YouAreSeen · 2024
Now I have the confidence to support my colleagues at work, transforming how I show up in my professional life.
Fancied Aider
Cohort 5 · Lagos
FSN gave me back my voice — and my life. I finally felt like I was not the only one.
Community Member
#Niskizee · 2025
FSN
🌍
A Mentally
Resilient Africa.
Est. 2022 · Pan-African Movement
Who We Are

A Pan-African Mental Health Movement

Fancied Story Network is a youth-led social movement and non-profit dedicated to decolonizing mental health. We shift the focus from clinical silos to community-owned, culturally relevant support — ensuring Black youth see themselves in the mental health conversation.

Our Vision

A mentally resilient Africa where every young person has access to a relatable, community-owned support system.

Our Mission

To make mental health accessible and relatable through the power of storytelling and a decentralized network of mental health first aiders.

Decolonized Care
Ubuntu Spirit
Narrative Advocacy
Task-Shifting
What We Do

Three ways we show up for communities.

I
Storytelling & Campaigns
Stories That Break the Silence
We create safe spaces for young Africans to share their mental health journeys — turning personal stories into a shared cultural language for healing and stigma-breaking.
6 campaigns · 200,000+ people reached · #Niskizee · #YouAreSeen · #OfImportanceNiWewe
See Our Campaigns →
II
Fancied Aiders Training
Train Everyday People as First Responders
We train people like you to become certified Mental Health First Aiders using the ALGEE framework. No clinical background needed — just the courage to show up for your community.
9-week programme · 136 certified · ALGEE & Quality Rights · Join Cohort 7 — April 2026
Join Next Cohort →
III
Social Clinics & Villages
Healing That Happens in Community
We bring healing into community spaces — picnics, festivals, and outdoor gatherings where trained Aiders facilitate real support in culturally safe and joyful settings.
9 events in 2025 · Pwani · Nairobi · Partner communities · Aider-led from 2026
See Upcoming Events →
Signature Annual Campaigns

Three Campaigns.
One Unified Voice.

#Niskizee
Dedicated to men's mental health and vulnerability — creating space for African men to be heard, to grieve, and to heal without shame.
Men's Mental Health
#YouAreSeen
A feminist-informed program centred on women's wellness — affirming, celebrating, and supporting women's mental health journeys across Africa.
Women's Wellness
#Ofimportanceniwewe
A high-impact suicide awareness and prevention campaign — because every life is of importance. Bold, honest, and life-saving.
Suicide Prevention
Our Impact Since 2022

From Grassroots
to Data-Backed.

FSN has grown from a movement into a measurable force for mental health change across Africa.

200K+
Young people engaged through digital & physical campaigns
30+
Healing workshops and community dialogues hosted
300+
Youth trained in MHFA and Learning to Earning modules
3
Annual signature campaigns running across Africa
Working toward the Big North Star: 1 Million Fancied Aiders trained across Africa.
What's Coming Up

Come Be Part of Something Real.

12 spots left
April 2026
Fancied Aiders Training — Cohort 7
Our 9-week ALGEE-backed Mental Health First Aid certification. Join the next generation of community first responders. Open to everyone — no clinical background needed.
📍 Nairobi, Kenya & Online · 9 Weeks · Certificate on completion
Apply Now →
This Month
30 April 2026
Social Clinic: "The Story I Tell Myself" — Pwani
Our signature outdoor healing gathering. Storytelling, play, and peer support in a warm, non-judgmental space. Come exactly as you are.
📍 Kilifi, Kenya · Free to attend
RSVP Here →
June 2026
Niskizee Men's Festival — Nairobi
Our annual festival for men's mental health. Music, stories, community. A space where African men can finally be heard without shame.
📍 Nairobi, Kenya · Date TBC
Get Notified →
Human Interest Stories

Stories That Break the Silence.

Read All Stories →
Two FSN community members at YouAreNotAlone event
#YouAreSeen · Women's Wellness
How a picnic in Nairobi changed the way 150 women talk about their pain
At our You Are Seen festival, something shifted. Women who had never spoken about their mental health found the words — because they were finally in a room that felt safe enough to hold them.
March 2025 · 5 min read
#Niskizee men's mental health campaign collage
#Niskizee · Men's Mental Health
"Men don't cry" — and the damage that phrase has done
Our Pwani Niskizee festival opened a conversation that Kenyan men had been waiting decades to have.
January 2025 · 4 min read
Fancied Aiders graduates with certificates
Fancied Aiders · Training Stories
I couldn't afford therapy — so I became the help I needed
A Cohort 4 graduate shares how MHFA training transformed not just her, but her entire office team.
February 2025 · 6 min read
Recognition & Awards

Others Are Seeing What We're Building.

🏆
Innovation in Youth Mental Health Award
Cities Rise · 2025
Recognised for outstanding innovation in developing creative, youth-led mental health solutions.
🏆
Digital Storytelling Excellence Award
Cities Rise · 2025
Recognised for outstanding leadership using digital media to amplify youth mental health perspectives.
🌍
Peace First Seed Grant
Peace First Organisation · 2025
Selected among global seed grant winners across 15 countries for youth-led social change work.
🎙️
National TV Feature
Citizen TV Kenya · 2025
Laurette featured as a mental wellness champion during the #OfImportanceNiWewe suicide awareness campaign.
🤝
East Africa Steering Committee
The Resilience Project UK
Two FSN leaders — Laurette and Dennis — on The Resilience Project UK East Africa steering committee.
💬
Partner Endorsement
Dr. Angela Huston Gold — The Resilience Project CEO
"I got a text from our team: 'THE FACILITATORS ARE SO AMAZING!' Thank you for your excellence — looking forward to continuing the partnership."
Advisors & Institutional Backing

Who Believes in Our Work

RP
The Resilience Project UK
Training partner · East Africa Steering Committee · MHFA certification framework
PF
Peace First Organisation
Seed grant recipient · Global Voices programme across 15 countries
CR
Cities Rise
Innovation in Youth Mental Health Award · Digital Storytelling Excellence Award 2025
AL
ALGEE Framework
Evidence-based MHFA curriculum backing the Fancied Aiders certification programme
QR
Quality Rights Curriculum
WHO-aligned framework integrated into our 9-week Fancied Aiders training
AH
Dr. Angela Huston Gold
CEO, The Resilience Project UK · Endorsed FSN MHFA training programme
Our Partners

We Don't Work Alone.

The Resilience Project UK
Peace First Organisation
Cities Rise
Alliance Française Nairobi
Pwani Schools Network
Later We Were Here
Intermind Wellbeing
+5 Community Partners
Certifications & Frameworks
ALGEE Framework — MHFA International
WHO Quality Rights Curriculum
Cities Rise Innovation Award 2025
Peace First Global Seed Grantee
Feminist MHFA Training Certified
Our Book Club

Reading to Heal. Reading to Lead.

Our community reads together — books that challenge how we think about mental health, identity, and healing in Africa. Here's what we've been sitting with this season.

My Grandmother's Hands
My Grandmother's Hands
Resmaa Menakem
"Trauma lives in the body. This book helped us understand why storytelling — not just talk — is how we heal."
The Body Keeps the Score
The Body Keeps the Score
Bessel van der Kolk
"Essential reading for every Fancied Aider — it explains why community and connection are medicine."
Things Fall Apart
Things Fall Apart
Chinua Achebe
"Reading this as a mental health text revealed how much unprocessed grief lives in African masculinity."
We Should All Be Feminists
We Should All Be Feminists
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
"A core text for understanding the systemic roots of the mental health burdens women carry in Africa."
Get In Touch

Join the
Movement.

Whether you want to share your story, become a Fancied Aider, partner with us, or bring FSN to your community — we want to hear from you.

📧 [email protected]
📍 Nairobi, Kenya · Expanding to Rwanda
🌍 Pan-African · Youth-Led · Est. 2022
Send a Message