Twelve-year-old school student Kenya Obeng tells Pride about her impressive project that aims to help young people experiencing mental health issues
When we hear about people starting their own business ventures, there’s often the encouragement given that it’s ‘never too late’ to step out and do something out of the box.
However, 12-year-old Kenya Obeng is proving that you can never be too young to work on something you’re passionate about and make a difference – as she is launching her very own range of journals, with the aim of bringing self-love and self-care practices to her fellow young people.
Kenya, from Welling, Kent, has been working on creating The KD Positivity Journal for much of this year, following a sparked interest in the world of self-care.
‘A touring company came to our school and spoke to us about expressing ourselves, and taking care of ourselves when we were feeling down,’ she explains. ‘Something in that spoke to me, as I’d been through some hard times, and it had really gotten me down for a while,’ she explains. ‘I didn’t understand what was happening.’
Like an unfortunate amount of young people, Kenya had been experiencing bullying at school, as well as cyber-bullying via social media. Being in an environment where she was only one of a few fellow Black students, it was hard to get a grasp on where she could fit in, and what it meant if she couldn’t ‘find her place’. However, when Kenya had first started to hear about ways in which people were dealing with their emotions, and gaining the tools to be able to grow through difficult times, she decided to try it herself to see the effect it’d have on how she was feeling.
‘I started writing down how I was feeling and sharing it with my mum. It was a long process and I also got more formal support, but if I didn’t share my feelings I don’t think I would have got better.’
‘Why should we lock away our feelings? They’re true to us, and we shouldn’t hide from them’
As Kenya started to improve her mental wellbeing, she got the motivation to share what she’d learned and experienced with others. ‘I started off doing a YouTube channel called Kenya’s Diaries, as well as an Instagram profile, promoting positivity and self-care.’
With regular posts that ranged from speaking on camera with words of wisdom, to quoted texts that encourage activities that remind the reader of their significance, and how special they are, Kenya was building a platform of motivation. However, the more she looked into ideas of mental health and healing, the more she wanted to expand her work.
‘I found out that young black people are more at risk of developing mental ill health, but are least likely to discuss it or seek help,’ she explains. ‘I wanted to do something about this, however small.’
And so, the journey towards launching The KD Positivity Journal began. Kenya wanted to create a tangible product that young people could cherish, and use to help them out of difficult situations when necessary. Of course, such a large task would be near impossible to accomplish alone – so it was essential to recruit family members to help with the logistics of the situation:
‘My parents gave me a “business loan” – they thought this would be a good lesson in entrepreneurship,’ Kenya explains. ‘It’s turned into much more. I drew all the pages and my Aunty Kelly, who is very creative, helped me to design the diary on her software in exchange for dinner! My aunty also sourced a print company for me. My family has supported me with bits I’m unsure of! It’s taken over six months and has been very hard, but worth it.’
As well as having adults working with her behind the scenes, Kenya also incorporated the ideas and talents of her foster siblings – every weekend, they’d spend time bouncing around their visions for the journal, and getting to work on them. Growing up with young people in foster care in her home, Kenya also has insight into the feelings of a group of people whose experiences aren’t often highlighted in a mainstream way.
’I asked them the kinds of things they would want to see in a positivity journal – because it’s for kids like them. I wanted to give them the chance to shape what the journal be, so that they can also see themselves represented.’
A thoughtful element that Kenya has incorporated within the design for the book is the fact that, contrary to other classic designs for adolescent journals, there’s no lock and key, or combination lock that seals its contents. Though this may just seem like a casual design difference, this ‘open book’ structure was an intentional decision on Kenya’s part.
‘Why should we lock away our feelings? They’re true to us, and we shouldn’t hide from them. We shouldn’t feel as if the things we go through, and the ways we’re affected by the world are a secret.’
Understandably, the people in Kenya’s life have immense amounts of pride about the initiative and dedication she’s shown in bringing this project to life – especially since it came out of her own circumstances of having crises of self-worth and confidence.
Chanelle Walters, Kenya’s mother, is understandably one of her most vocal cheerleaders. ‘We’re so proud of her,’ she gushes, via a phone conversation. ‘The amount that she’s grown in the past few months is just incredible, and to see it grow into this project that the whole family is so behind, is truly amazing.’
As well as being a resource to help children and teenagers express themselves, The KD Positivity Journal is also something that will contribute towards the work of existing organisations that are in place to promote mental health awareness, especially among young people.
‘Some of the profits from the journal will go to charity, such as YoungMinds UK, Mind in Bexley, Place2Be, The Mix and Alexander Paul Foundation,’ says Kenya. ‘The rest of the profits will go into supporting other ideas that my foster siblings and I come up with. All the charities have given me leaflets to supply with the diary and are glad for the support.’
It’s so inspiring to not only see a young person be so engaged with matters of her own mental health, but to be dedicated to paying it forward and doing her part in helping others feel better too. With the journal not only being visually appealing, but packed with some truly touching sentiments of self-encouragement, it’s a testament to the power of allowing young people to pursue big challenges and helping them along the way – as when you do, it can bring something magical to the world.
‘Staying positive does not mean that things will turn out okay. Rather, it is knowing that you will be okay no matter how things turn out,’ reads one of Kenya’s key quotes. And to us, that’s something worth keeping in mind, no matter your age.
The KD Positivity Journal is available now; head to kenyasdiaries.co.uk to find out more
