Please join us in celebrating Leading the Way, our video series featuring three amazing storytellers from Zimbabwe, Belize, and the UK. In these videos originally made to celebrate World Mental Health Day, Andy, Angelica, and Sahar are helping to build connections across the world and reduce the stigma around mental health conditions.
If you enjoyed our Leading the Way videos, please share them widely and tell people what impacted you and what you learned.
Andy McAleese is Leading the Way
Andy McAleese is a husband, father, and businessman in Welwyn Garden City in the UK. Andy had been struggling for some time when he finally broke down in tears during a company retreat. Feeling a weight lift off his shoulders after being met with love and support from his colleagues, Andy was finally able to receive help for his depression and anxiety.
“When I returned to work, I was determined that I was going to be open about my experience, especially given my leadership position. I want to help break down stigma about mental health and create more open conversations. I want to contribute to changing how we work to better support mental health and wellbeing.”
Today, Andy is taking strides to build better workplaces. He is a firm believer that we can all thrive with mental-ill health when we have supportive workplaces and communities. Andy is the 2021 winner of the This Can Happen Most Inspiring Senior Leader Award and a Role Model on the 2021 InsideOut Leader Board. Andy enjoys taking daily walks to break up his workday, feel grounded and present in his surroundings, and uplift his mental wellbeing.
Stability Leaders like Andy are leading the way to a world where mental health conditions are viewed no differently than physical health conditions. A world where everyone can get access to the care and support they need. A world where all people can thrive with a mental health condition, not in spite of one.
Angelica Chiketa Mkorongo is Leading the Way
Angelica Chiketa Mkorongo was born and raised in rural Zimbabwe. Growing up in a religious environment, Angelica believed that God could hear her thoughts. When dark, intrusive thoughts began entering her mind at a young age, Angelica worried that she was going to Hell.
Later, when she learned that those thoughts were caused by obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), she realized that she had not sinned. She was living with a mental health condition, just like millions of others.
“That’s when my mental health advocacy began. My peers are afraid to talk to psychiatrists or psychologists for fear of being judged or sent to jail… In most countries, mine included, the number of specialists is much too low. Those of us who are thriving, let’s put our heads together and help one another. This is what The Stability Network is all about. It empowers those of us with psychosocial disabilities so that we may empower others.”
Today, Angelica leads a peer support organization in Zimbabwe. She is proud that many of her fellow peers feel most at home when they get together for peer support meetings. Angelica has shared her story in the World Health Organization’s “World mental health report: Transforming mental health for all.” She also led the movement for OCD to become recognized as a mental health condition by Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health. When she’s not busy advocating for mental health rights, Angelica loves spending time with her puppy, Chiko.
Stability Leaders like Angelica are leading the way to a world where mental health conditions are viewed no differently than physical health conditions. A world where everyone can get access to the care and support they need. A world where all people can thrive with a mental health condition, not in spite of one.
Sahar Vasquez is Leading the Way
Sahar Vasquez is a schoolteacher living in Belize. Sahar first started experiencing challenges with her health when she was 16. Multiple trips to the doctor revealed that her physical symptoms were stemming from a mental health issue. At first, shame and fear overwhelmed Sahar, leaving her wondering how she would tell her friends about her mental health condition. After stumbling across a video of a mental health advocate on YouTube, Sahar was inspired to share her own story.
“It’s been a lovely journey because I’ve been able to see how sharing helps other people that were like me to break out of that shame and realize that there’s nothing wrong with having a mental illness. It’s not a death sentence.”
Today, Sahar shares her wellness tools with her young students, practicing mindfulness in the classroom and when she is feeling overwhelmed or needs a centering moment. Sahar is a commissioner for the Pan American Health Organization’s High-Level Commission for Mental Health and COVID-19. She has shared her story in front of the United Nations and enjoys playing tennis in her free time.
Stability Leaders like Sahar are leading the way to a world where mental health conditions are viewed no differently than physical health conditions. A world where everyone can get access to the care and support they need. A world where all people can thrive with a mental health condition, not in spite of one.
Together we can create the world we want to see.