“A few years ago my marriage was breaking down.  I was depressed.  I wanted to leave.  But when I tried speaking to my friends about it, most people told me to ‘suck it up.’  They told me not to be selfish, and to think of my children.  Church members told me that I’d go to hell.  Family members told me that an unhappy marriage was better than being alone.  Above all, everyone told me to keep quiet.  There’s a taboo in our culture against ‘airing dirty laundry.’  Therapy is stigmatized.  So I had nobody to talk to.  During that time, I’d lock myself up for days and cry.  Luckily there was Qwarme.  We grew up together.  We’ve been friends since high school.  He understood me.   But most of all, he just listened.  The experience gave us an idea to start a listening channel for other people who needed to talk.  I bought a new phone number.  We put out a call on social media, inviting anyone to call in anonymously and share their problems.  I do most of the listening.  But if they’d rather speak to a male, then Qwarme steps in.  We’ve helped almost seventy people in the last three years.  It’s become a round-the-clock job.  Some people call us every day.  Others will call once a month but talk for hours.  Occasionally we’ll recommend a therapist if it seems like professional help is needed.  But other than that, we just listen.  And for most people, that’s enough.”
(Accra, Ghana)