More Than a Training: Transforming the Lives of Those Who Change Others’

Today is World Mental Health Day – an annual day recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health. World Mental Health Day 2025 is focused on the urgent need to support the mental health and psychosocial needs of people affected by humanitarian emergencies.

In Ethiopia’s Amhara region, Grassroot Soccer and the Amhara Development Association (ADA) are partnering to pilot an in-school mental health intervention for adolescents built on MindSKILLZ – Grassroot Soccer’s signature mental health program that combines key mental health and psychosocial support elements such as emotional awareness, coping mechanisms, and goal setting. 

The pilot offers an approach to support mental well-being in communities affected by trauma, displacement, and instability – which is felt acutely by adolescents in an already stressful and confusing period of life.

Recently, Grassroot Soccer led trainings for the pilot in Bahir dar and Dessie (the two major towns in the region), bringing together 42 participants from 21 schools (including those serving internally displaced persons (IDP)), and 12 ADA staff members. 

In these trainings, a transformative moment took place – not just in terms of the curriculum being taught, but in the hearts of trainees. 

While the training was designed to equip Coaches with tools to help students cope with emotional and mental health challenges, it unfolded into a journey of personal reflection and hope for the trainees themselves. Through the exercises, as well as the fostering of a safe space for reflection and discussion, many trainees were met with their own untold stories; stories shaped by conflict, displacement, and years of silent inner struggle.

One participant, a teacher, shared: “I came here just to learn how to train my students. But it brought up emotions I had buried for years. I didn’t expect that. Now I see mental health [education] is not just about training others. I have also learned how to take care of myself.”

Another Coach had the space to share openly about a painful experience with a student that illustrated why the skills being taught in the training are so critical: “One of my students experienced a severe emotional crisis that involved self-harming. I didn’t even know she was having those thoughts, and I did not have the skills to recognize the early signs. I tried to help the best I could, but I didn’t know how to do it the right way.”

In the Amhara region, adolescents face significant mental health challenges. Forty-eight percent experience depression, 51% live with anxiety, and 59% show symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Assistant Professor of Mental health from Bahir Dar University, Tilahun Belete, who facilitated a session at the training on the status of mental health in the region, emphasized the program’s urgency: “This training could not have come at a better time. Communities in this region are struggling with trauma, poverty, and lack of access to mental health care. The tools shared here are very helpful.”

He added, “Although we have implemented several interventions, we have never had such a simple, relatable, and practical approach before. It truly speaks to the realities of our people.”

Now, these Coaches are returning to their communities in Amhara not only to teach, but to uplift the hope of thousands of students and families. In doing so, they are laying the groundwork for a future of stronger mental well-being, emotional resilience, and togetherness in the face of continued challenges.