Mwaiwathu Wirima is a resilient and inspiring advocate for mental health who has transformed a difficult past into a platform for helping others.
Her journey took her to South Africa and the United Kingdom for education and work; she holds a human resources degree from the University of Liverpool and a master’s in industrial relations and human resources from Warwick Business School.
Returning to Malawi, Mwaiwathu struggled with loneliness and a sense of not fitting in. Those feelings led to a period of substance misuse centred on alcohol and codeine.
“I moved back to Malawi with broken Chichewa, feeling like I didn’t fit in; not knowing many people. I started going out with a few people I knew from way back and fell into a lifestyle of drinking and going out. It started off harmless, but it gradually escalated to frequent drinking and not knowing when to stop. That was when I realised I had a problem,” she says.
She describes being trapped in a vicious cycle: intending to have one drink, then losing control, followed by blackouts, accidents and depressive episodes that left her bedridden for days.
Those episodes prompted her to confide in her family and seek help.
“I had several accidents, blackouts and started to get depressive episodes that would see me in bed for days on end. That was when I first brought it to my family’s attention,” she recalls.
Mwaiwathu believes earlier therapy for loneliness, low self‑esteem and feelings of inadequacy might have averted her turn to substances. Yet she refuses to see her past as wasted and her experiences inform her work, helping others heal.
But like the saying ‘all things happen for a reason’, Mwaiwathu’s experiences are working for her good and the good of others.
As founder of The Art of Wellness, she offers mental health first‑aid training, yoga and mindfulness sessions, blending lived experience with professional certification. “My approach is to blend my lessons to deliver in‑depth and relatable sessions. I love what I do; it doesn’t feel like work because, for me, it is part of my service and a part of my recovery,” she explains.
Her mental health training was supported by a scholarship to Future Focus Empowerment Institute International, where she completed a mental health first‑aid certification
Mwaiwathu also works as director of human resources, people and culture at Namiwawa Private School, balancing advocacy with a professional career. Speaking candidly about Malawi’s environment, she warns that alcohol and pharmaceuticals are too easily accessible, which normalises substance use and increases risk. “With alcohol, I believe it is because of our high drinking culture that makes people question you when you are not partaking. It is almost as if it is expected,” she says.
She adds that pharmaceuticals and street drugs are often obtainable outside regulated pharmacies.
She notes misuse affects a wide age range, from late teens into the 40s, and can devastate health, relationships, work, education and finances. Stigma, scarce resources and limited support make recovery especially hard in communities like hers.
She says substances can wreck one’s entire life; health and wellbeing, relationships, work, school, finances and most importantly one’s mental health.
“When your mental health deteriorates in a community such as ours, it is extremely difficult to find your way again because of the stigma associated with these challenges, accessibility of resources and support to heal,” she says.
Mwaiwathu says the trend is a disservice to the country because it creates a community that is not operating at its optimum since people are struggling to be productive.
“It disempowers a community and can have intergenerational effects in a number of different areas,” she adds.
Having gone to South Africa for rehabilitation, Mwaiwathu says there are many ways one can recover, including here in Malawi through therapy, holistic lifestyle habits as well as a strong support system.
“I had the support of my parents during this time. Without them, I probably would have still been using substances. What I lacked was awareness, tools and coping mechanisms to get out of that difficult time alone,” she says.
Mwaiwathu is the last born and only girl out of a family of four children to the “most amazing and supportive parents who have stood by each of us in every situation.”
She left Malawi at 10 to attend the International School of South Africa.
Her message is one of hope and empowerment, encouraging girls and women to prioritise self-love, self-worth and seeking help when needed.
She says: “Talk to someone safe. Handling trauma alone can be lonely. I believe in girls being equipped early with awareness and coping mechanisms to handle what life throws at them.
“For women, I think it is important to know yourself; your body, mind and soul. This was the biggest blessing of my therapeutic journey, learning who I was, coming to a place of self-acceptance with my flaws as well as understanding why I did certain things. Without this journey, I may never have learnt who I was and what my purpose is.”
She notes that your past does not define you.
“As much as I share my story, it is not all of who I am. I have so much more to me than my past and recovery. The character development, purpose, drive and clarity have been my biggest blessing. This is what I want to lead with and share with others,’ she says.
Her story is a testament to the power of resilience and the importance of addressing mental health.
