Over the past few years, Malawi has experienced a quiet but growing mental health crisis, one that has increasingly affected young people and, in particular, young men. Between 2022 and September 2025, police and Ministry of Health records indicate at least 2,014 suicides nationwide. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, 153 suicides were recorded, representing a 21 percent increase from the same period in 2024. More than 80 percent of those deaths involved men, with the most affected age group consistently falling between 20 and 39 years. Mental health professionals and community leaders continue to caution that these figures likely underestimate the true scale of the crisis, as stigma, fear, and under-reporting remain significant barriers to seeking help and accurately capturing data.
Despite this reality, access to mental health support in Malawi remains limited, particularly for young men, who often face social expectations to remain silent, resilient, and self-reliant. For many, professional therapy feels distant, unaffordable, or inaccessible. As a result, challenges such as stress, anxiety, depression, and emotional burnout often go unaddressed until they reach crisis point. This gap between need and access is what prompted the Soirée Foundation to act.
In response, the Foundation has launched a free therapy access programme delivered in partnership with Saint John of God Hospitaller Services and co-sponsored through a generous donation from Telecom Networks Malawi. The programme provides confidential, professional therapy sessions at no cost, available in person in Lilongwe and Mzuzu, with tele-therapy offered where physical access is not possible. All clinical services are provided and managed by St John of God Hospitaller Services, ensuring ethical practice, professional care, and strict confidentiality. The Soirée Foundation focuses on facilitating access, outreach, and coordination, helping reduce barriers that often prevent people from seeking support.
This pilot phase prioritises young men aged 18 to 45, reflecting the group most affected by recent suicide statistics and least likely to seek help early. While the programme remains open to others based on availability and design, the priority focus acknowledges the urgent need to reach those most at risk, while also creating a model that can be evaluated, strengthened, and expanded over time.
The therapy programme forms part of the broader work of the Soirée Foundation, established in 2025 as the not-for-profit arm of The Sunday Soirée. The Foundation uses culture as a pathway to health, wellness, creativity, environmental care, and social justice, designing programmes that meet people in familiar, welcoming spaces. Alongside therapy access, this work includes Wellness Circles, sport-forward Soirée Socials, and creative and environmental initiatives that foster connection, learning, and resilience within communities.
At its core, this initiative recognises that support does not begin with crisis alone, but with conversation, trust, and access. By combining community-led approaches with professional care, the Foundation aims to contribute to a more compassionate, inclusive mental health landscape in Malawi, where seeking help is normalised and support is within reach.
To book a free therapy session, please visit https://app.youform.com/forms/n5rrtpnw. For more information about The Foundation’s work, visit www.thesoireefoundation.org.