“While we fight for gender equality, we need to remember women from disadvantaged backgrounds because if they’re being left behind, we won’t have equality or equity at all.”
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode discusses the topic of mental health.
Tandi Kuwana is a special human being.
A trailblazer even, as she leads the conversation on migrant health in Australia.
Often a culturally taboo topic for many ethnic, minority communities, Tandi’s important work is multifaceted as it encompasses mental health from a professional practitioner’s viewpoint as well as a personal and cultural perspective.
Tandi’s approach is one drawn from real life experience as she ticks the boxes of being a qualified mental health nurse, a survivor of depression, and a Zimbabwe born Australian.
Little did Tandi know that her desire to understand human behaviour and explore why people are the way they are would lead her to helping migrants facing mental health challenges.
Wanting to help her community and destigmatise mental illness, Tandi says about her own journey of recovery from depression, “There were days where I would wake up and I would be alright with the western view of depression and then there were days when it was really hard for me as an African woman.”
When she began to feel better and heal from depression, Tandi realised some people have very limited knowledge of mental illness and only know what was taught through their upbringing.
The idea that some people wouldn’t know to seek help when they needed it most was something Tandi felt moved to change.
Which is how the work she does through Mental Health Keys came about. Mental Health Key is the organisation Tandi founded to provide consultancy, mental wellness programs and workshops to migrants.
Her incredible work even saw her inducted into the 2020 WA Women’s Hall of fame.
For anyone experiencing mental health problems Tandi says, “listen to my story, listen to the stories of others and look for help…… If you find that the people that you are talking to are not really helping or you think will stop you from seeking help and you really want to look for help. Go and access services.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing mental health challenges help is available.
You can:
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Talk to your GP
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Contact a mental health service like Lifeline or Beyond Blue and talk to someone who knows how to help and would love to listen to your concerns.
Connect with Tandi Kuwana
Website http://mymentalwellness.com.au
Email [email protected]
IN TANDI’S WORDS
On depression
“I thought by having the diagnosis I was weak.”
“But it was at that point I realised I had been a strong woman and I could tell that it was time for me to be vulnerable.”
On recovering from depression
“I wanted to see someone who looks like me.”
On normalising the discussion of mental health in the migrant community
“I believe in the sharing of stories and that’s why I share my story with no shame at all because I believe what I went through a lot of people have gone through it.”
“The more we talk about it the more we become educated and we can encourage each other to seek help.”
On self-limiting beliefs
“I knew from an earlier age that I was capable and I had a lot more to give but I didn’t think I was worthy of the space to share my story or to even do public speaking or even give a report at school.”
“I knew it was in me but I didn’t think I was good enough.”
“I would question and doubt my decisions.”
On being inducted into WA Women’s Hall of Fame
“While we fight for gender equality, we need to remember women from disadvantaged backgrounds because if they’re being left behind, we won’t have equality or equity at all.”
“I would love to see more women from disadvantaged backgrounds sitting at the table, influencing policies that shape the way we live in Australia.”
“The more we uplift each other and we take chairs to those tables even if we are not invited the better life becomes for us.”
Don’t miss the final episode of Season 3. Subscribe to Uplifting Studios TV to be the first to know when Episode 10 goes live.
Do you want to pursue more in life? I encourage you to keep going and to keep your eyes on what lies ahead. Don’t allow any self-limiting beliefs to get in your way any longer. Download my FREE Mindset Audio Guide- 3 Steps to Unshackle Your Self-Limiting Beliefs >click through to ‘start here’ page<. Follow my simple steps in the guide to begin to live the life you were created for.
With Love,
Annie
