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For many young people, silence has been their heaviest burden. Stigma has kept them from speaking about struggles, forcing them to fight in isolation. But this week in Nairobi, voices of resilience rose to show that hope is possible when dialogue begins.

At the Aga Khan University on Wednesday, the Youth Suicide Prevention Forum brought together experts, policymakers and youth leaders to confront a crisis that has claimed too many lives. Their message was clear — safe spaces and open conversations can turn despair into recovery.

The Founding Director of the Brain and Mind Institute, Professor Zul Merali, said empowering young people to speak out is key to saving lives.

 “This is about creating safe spaces, amplifying youth voices and putting in place actionable pathways that truly save lives,” he said.

He explained that stigma has long silenced many, but dialogue can break the cycle and restore hope.

“When young people are forced into silence or denied affordable care because of stigma, it is society as a whole that fails them,” he added.

The Head of Programmes at the Science for Africa Foundation, Dr Judy Omumbo, described suicide prevention as a shared responsibility that touches every part of society.

“It touches families, schools, workplaces and faith communities. Suicide prevention is a profound moral duty, and its success depends on every part of society working together,” she said.

She stressed that solutions must go beyond health systems alone.

“Suicide prevention must be everyone’s business, not a marginal issue left to health professionals alone,” she said.

A psychiatrist at the Ministry of Health, Dr Catherine Wanjiku, said Kenya’s 2023 decision to decriminalise suicide was a turning point.

 “The government has taken significant steps, including decriminalisation, which removed a major barrier for those who need help. We are now strengthening policies and expanding community-based services,” she said.

She added that the Suicide Prevention Strategy 2021–2026 is designed to ensure no young person is left without timely support.

“The goal is to integrate suicide prevention into the wider health system so that support reaches every corner of the country,” she said.

Personal stories shared at the forum gave statistics a human face. Young survivors spoke of the stigma that once kept them silent, but also of the peer support and safe spaces that helped them recover.

 Their voices reminded participants that hope is not abstract — it lives in community, in shared conversations, and in the courage to speak.