Mental health is often spoken of in policy documents and health strategies distant, abstract words. But for Akullu, a 70-year-old widow from Agago, Northern Uganda, it became the lifeline that pulled her from the depths of despair to the heights of hope.

Her life changed forever in 2002 when the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) ambushed her and her two children. Captured and held by rebels, she faced unimaginable cruelty. At one point, they ordered her to kill her own daughter. When she refused, they killed the child and forced Akullu to carry her remains in a sack for days.

“It was as if I was no longer human. My soul left my body that day.”

She eventually escaped when government forces overpowered the rebels but the chains in her mind and heart remained. For years she lived with nightmares, flashbacks, and crushing grief. She stopped eating meat because it reminded her of that horrific day. Her son, abducted with her, never returned.

By 2019, Akullu was barely coping. Thoughts of ending her life were becoming stronger when a Village Health Team member invited her to a community mental health awareness session run by BasicNeeds UK in Uganda (BNUU).

At first, she was hesitant. But as the facilitators described the signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression, she felt seen for the first time.

“I realized my pain had a name and I wasn’t alone.”

Referred to Paimol Health Centre III, Akullu was diagnosed with severe depression and PTSD. She began a treatment plan combining antidepressants and intensive counselling. Over eight sessions, she learned coping skills, built a safety plan, and set personal goals.

By her seventh session, her distress levels had dropped from severe to mild. More importantly, she began to see her life not just as survival but as a chance to give back.