By Adolphine Nyandoro

The Counseling Center held the Spring 2025, Open week from February 11-13 and it was an opportunity for the Counseling Center staff to meet the students, staff and faculty outside the counseling rooms. The day-to-day activities entailed giving out information and education communication (IEC) materials on various mental health issues, administering life skills assessments tools, board games, writing affirmation notes, art and music therapy.

Being the Valentine’s week, the Counseling Center partnered with Chiromo Hospital Group to facilitate two psychoeducational webinar sessions on February 11 & 12 on intimacy and heartbreaks respectively. Members of the community in attendance had an opportunity to ask questions and share their own experiences on the topics discussed.

On February 13, the Placement and Career Services (PACS) in collaboration with Kiss Condoms (DKT), and Michezo Africa Club, the Counseling Center organized for a play at the auditorium. The play themed, ‘The illusion of Love’ was written by Natasha Lulu, a Psychology major student in her second year of study and it aimed at creating awareness on toxic relationships and how to break the cycle of abuse. To provide an opportunity for the audience to learn more about this, various resources persons held a panel discussion on how to identify toxicity and abuse in a relationship, attachment styles, importance of social support and psychotherapy. The panelists were Dr. Marion Mutwiri, a Marriage and Family Therapy specialist, Mr Vincent Juma, Senior University Counselor and Mr John Sande, Principal Digital and Creative Officer, who shared his personal experience. The session was moderated by Ms. Adolphine Nyandoro a Senior University Counselor.

DKT entertained the audience with songs and dance as well as provided free Kiss condoms, t-shirts, caps, hoodies and mugs to the students. The Open week ended with a presentation from Ms. Yvonne Kajuju on contraceptive use and the importance of making informed safe sexual choices.