KARATINA UNIVERSITY HOSTS WEBINAR ON MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION.

Karatina University marked International Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month by hosting a Zoom webinar on September 11^th, 2025. The event, organized by the Directorate of Community Outreach, aimed to raise awareness on mental health and suicide prevention not only in the university but across different organisations.  The webinar was facilitated by Prof. Margaret Mwenje, Ms. Jackline Kagu and Mr. Jotham Ngirici, focusing on important topics like suicide risk factors, early warning signs, and various suicide interventions.

The Director, Directorate of Community Outreach Prof. Margaret Mwenje addressing participants during the webinar on mental health and suicide prevention.

The webinar brought together 96 participants from different professions and institutions across Kenya and Rwanda, as well as staff and students from Karatina University. The webinar helped provide a deeper understanding of suicide prevention strategies and how to identify and respond to early signs of distress. A heartfelt moment by Ms. Jackie Kogu, who shared her personal experience with suicide, added a different aspect, showing the importance of lived experiences in mental health advocacy.

A section of participants during Karatina University’s Suicide Prevention Webinar

The webinar’s success helped the participants’ understanding of suicide prevention strategies, but also helped promote collaboration across universities and affirmed the university’s commitment to community engagement. The Directorate of Community Outreach expressed thanks to the university’s management for its support and promised to continue its efforts in national and global suicide prevention.