For many years, Professor Charles Kimamo has explored how communities can support their own mental well-being. As a clinical-developmental psychologist, he has focused on prevention, believing that everyday relationships can play a central role in mental health.
This belief took on new meaning during a visit to Mbeere, Kenya, where he encountered the Nyumba Kumi initiative. In this model, trusted elders oversee clusters of ten households to support community security. Professor Kimamo recognised the potential to extend this role to mental health, training elders to identify early signs of distress and provide basic support.
The idea now forms the basis of his research as an Africa Oxford Initiative (AfOx) fellow. Working with Professor Robin Dunbar, whose research explores how humans form stable social groups, the project draws on both cultural practice and scientific theory. The size of Nyumba Kumi groups (5 to 15 people) closely matches natural social groupings, making them well suited to community-based care.
In a country where access to mental health services remains limited, this approach offers a practical alternative. By strengthening local capacity, the model aims to support early intervention and prevention.
Through collaboration at Oxford and in Kenya, the project is laying the groundwork for future research and policy, with the goal of enabling communities to care for their own mental health.