When Najla Mohammed, 45, brought her 18-month-old child to Ad-Damazin Hospital Southeastern Sudan for malnutrition care, she did not expect to find support for herself too.
Najla is a mother of 11, including a child with a disability. She has no stable income, and some of her daughters take on domestic work to help support the family. Against a backdrop of financial and family pressures, Najla was also struggling with depression.
Over time, she began withdrawing from the people around her. Going out became difficult and visiting her family even more so. She felt they dismissed what she said, questioned her state of mind and sometimes laughed at her.
“I couldn’t go to my family anymore. They thought I wasn’t fully aware of what I was saying. They wouldn’t listen to me, and sometimes they laughed at me.”
Staying home gradually became easier than facing other people’s judgement.
“I didn’t want to go out or see people anymore. I would rather stay at home for months than face the embarrassment of people questioning my state of mind.”
That fear followed Najla to the hospital. While her child was being treated in the malnutrition ward, she kept to herself and rarely spoke to the other mothers and caregivers
I didn’t want to go out or see people anymore. I would rather stay at home for months than face the embarrassment of people questioning my state of mindNajla Mohammed
It was there that she heard Omnia Mohammed Nasser, an MSF mental health counsellor, leading an awareness session about mental health services and encouraging people to seek support without shame. For Najla, the session opened a door. She decided to approach Omnia and talk about what she had been going through.
“After hearing Omnia in the ward, I went to talk to her about how I was feeling. I wanted to get better, to talk and laugh with my neighbours again, and for my words to matter. I wanted people to see me differently.”
Over the next three weeks, Najla attended several mental health support sessions. Omnia remembers that her mood was very low when they first met. She cried frequently and struggled to engage with others. As the sessions continued, Najla’s mood improved, her confidence grew, and communicating with others became easier.
“I came here and finally said everything I had been carrying inside. I let out all the things I had wanted to say. Now I feel relieved.”
But the stigma remains. Najla worries that her family may find out she is receiving mental health support and judge her even more. Despite this, she continues her sessions, gradually rebuilding her confidence to speak and connect with others.
“All I want is to feel comfortable at home with my children, to listen to each other, and to feel that I matter to them.”
In Ad-Damazin, Blue Nile State, MSF offers mental health support at a permanent centre in Karama 6 camp and through activities at other project sites, including the malnutrition ward at Ad-Damazin Hospital. People can access individual support and follow-up care, while those who need more specialised care are referred to the Trauma Centre at Ad-Damazin Teaching Hospital. MSF also supports access to these referrals by providing transport to and from the centre.
Najla’s name has been changed to protect her privacy
“Data has a voice. When it is done well, it speaks for itself.”
Sudan’s patients are still here. The clinics they need are disappearing.
