Shamiri Fellows

The backbone of our model, Shamiri Fellows are young people working for young people. Aged 18-to-22, Shamiri Fellows are lay providers who are trained for only 10 hours to provide highly contextual group-based care to adolescents in our programming. They deliver our interventions which as brief, de-stigmatized, and evidence-based interventions that target overall human functioning.

Each year, we recruit thousands of Shamiri Fellows from all around Kenya. They work in the communities where the come from.

Shamiri Fellows are trained, supervised and mentored by Shamiri Supervisors and Shamiri Experts within our tiered caregiving model that allows for an expanded pool of providers including social workers and therapists.

The protocols for recruiting, training, and supervising Shamiri Fellows have been peer-reviewed in clinical journals.

Meet
Daisy Munene

Shamiri Fellow since February 2024
University and Major: Kenyatta University, Mathematics and Computer Science
Age: 21

How did you first hear about Shamiri Institute?

I first learned about Shamiri Institute through my friend Dan who knew the Institute through a friend of his.

What made you interested in working with Shamiri Institute?

Mostly it’s because of how I see the mental health of youth depreciating day by day, and that inspired me to join Shamiri and become a part of a bigger team focused on improving the mental health of our youth and making sure they thrive in all their endeavors.

What’s one thing that’s surprised you about working with Shamiri Institute?

I think it’s that the Supervisors are young and can relate to youth. I was expecting the supervisors to be elderly people who would have a hard time relating with youth. The working hours also work well with my schedule.

What are your ambitions for your career?

I want to be an expert in programming and being a data analyst.

What’s your hope or wish for the youth in Kenya?

I wish they’d air out their issues more often. If you’re going through something, talk about it instead of bottling it up. Talking to someone really helps, especially a professional when it comes to mental health.

How has mental health impacted your life?

It has positively impacted my social life. I used to isolate myself from my family and friends but nowadays I can freely interact with those around me. I can now say that my relationships with other individuals are healthier than ever.