Chinasa Lovlyn Nwachukwu’s Story
Founder of My Mental Health and I (MMHI)
I have been advocating for mental health for the past four years, and honestly, it has become such a big part of my daily routine that I can hardly separate it from who I am.
It all started during the lockdown period when I was personally struggling with depression. At the time, I was a Nigerian student studying in China; I still am, and finding resources that I could actually relate to felt almost impossible. Most of what was out there had been written for a Western audience. The experiences, the references, the framing, the language, none of it spoke to me or to the reality of what it means to navigate mental health as a young Nigerian.
That gap frustrated me, but it also moved me. Because I knew that if I was struggling to find support that felt relatable, there had to be countless others in the same position. So I decided to do something about it.
I started a blog. At the time, I did not even fully understand what a blog was or how to run one. But one summer, I used my holiday to design a website and start sharing my story, hoping it would encourage others to open up about theirs.
That blog has grown into something I could not have imagined when I started. My Mental Health and I (MMHI) is now a platform focused on creating mental health content that is easy to understand and culturally relevant, sharing free resources, and inspiring individuals to become advocates in their own communities across Africa.
Please share your reflections on what you've learned and you would like to share with our global community.
Advocacy around mental health is growing, particularly in Nigeria and across Africa. More people are talking about it than ever before. But awareness alone is not enough. There is still a significant gap in how deeply people actually understand mental health, in how far we still need to go to reduce stigma, and in how many people are able to access resources that can genuinely help them.
One thing I would love to share with the global community is this: when we advocate for mental health, we should not just focus on informing people. We should educate them in a way that empowers them to share what they know with someone else. That is how we multiply impact. That is how we reach the people our platforms and posts never will.
What has been your favourite moment as a member of GMHAN?
Without a doubt, attending the 4th Global Mental Health Advocacy Forum in the Philippines, in February 2026, stands out as my favourite moment. Most of my work has been digital, so stepping into a room full of people doing this work from all over the world was something else entirely. I made connections there that I still carry with me today. It reminded me why this work matters and encouraged me to keep going.
I would love to connect with you on LinkedIn so we can continue this advocacy journey together. Connect with me here.