Just like Maya learned how to reconnect with her children, children also need to reconnect with their parents. Supporting a child’s mental health requires a different kind of care—one that meets them at their level, with safety, play, and trust.
Hence, after sharing Maya’s story, we wanted to tell you about Yvonne, a 10 years old living in Cibitoke district. When her mother was hospitalised with MPOX, everything changed.
“People didn’t want to play with me,” Yvonne said. “They said I could make them sick.”
Stigma kept her away from school and friends. She became withdrawn and stopped talking. Like Maya’s children, Yvonne struggled with the emotional weight of illness and isolation—this time from a child’s perspective.
With support from a community volunteer trained by HealthNet TPO through Spring Communities, Yvonne slowly began to reengage. She joined children’s play sessions in her neighbourhood and received one-on-one emotional support. Her family also took part in awareness sessions on how to support a child in distress.
“Now I’m back in school,” Yvonne said. “And I teach the little ones how to play.”
Her story reminds us that mental health support is not just for those who fall ill. It is for the people who wait, worry, and carry the impact in quiet ways.
