By Leon Mutwiri
Its all system go as the envied Meru Press Club is set to hold a mental health awareness tournament on December 14th at Meru Teachers Training College grounds.
The community-based organization formed by journalists based in Meru, will be holding the event in a bid to appreciate and recognize the efforts put in by journalists to inform the masses, and also to create awareness of the mental challenges the journalists go through.
Oftenly, in their line of duty, journalists encounter instances of violence during protests, assaults or even insults while collecting their news.
They also witness the death of colleagues or news sources and cover harrowing news stories which tend to take a toll on the journalists mental health.
Many times, the nurture of their work limits their access to mental health services such as counseling which when left, can lead a journalist to depression, as in the case of Nasibo Kabale a former journalist from NTV who admitted facing depression.
The event will be graced by various dignitaries, the chairpersons and members of the neighboring media organizations from Tharaka Nithi and Isiolo counties.
The MPC is calling for partnerships with health providers in offering mental health services including counseling, health training and wellness awareness for journalists and the public.
The event also aims to enhance and create newborns between the journalists from neighboring counties as they engage in the tournament.
The tournament will also offer an opportunity for the media to create awareness on the mental health challenges affecting not only journalists globally, but also the ordinary citizenry.
Members of the public are urged to attend the event and cheer their best journalist teams while receiving awareness about their mental health.