By Omar Hero Bakari

When Omar Hero Bakari first walked through the doors of the Cerebral Palsy Society of Kenya (CPSK) in January 2025, he was simply fulfilling a degree requirement. As a final-year Psychology student at the university, community service was mandatory. But within weeks, what began as an academic obligation transformed into a profound calling that would reshape both the institution and Bakari’s professional trajectory.

“Psychology wasn’t just an academic choice for me, it was personal,” explains Bakari, a Mastercard Foundation Scholar who grew up in Tana River County, an area that has experienced significant conflict and displacement. “Having firsthand experience with displacement, I understood the psychological wounds that often go unaddressed in crises. I wanted to be part of healing those invisible scars,” he says.

This background gave Bakari unique insight when he began volunteering at CPSK, a specialized institution providing therapy and support services to children with cerebral palsy and their families in Donholm, Nairobi. His initial duties were straightforward: cleaning the compound, feeding children, and assisting with basic operations. However, his trained eyes quickly noticed something.

“The children were receiving excellent physical therapy, but I observed the parents and caregivers sitting in the waiting area looking exhausted, depressed, and often isolated,” Bakari recalls. “Some were single mothers whose husbands had abandoned them after their child’s diagnosis. They were carrying immense psychological burdens with nowhere to turn,” he adds.

This observation led to Bakari’s most significant contribution. Drawing on his psychology training, he proposed and implemented a comprehensive psychosocial support program for caregivers. He approached the Center’s management with a proposal to offer free counseling sessions to parents while their children receive physical therapy, he explains, an idea that was immediately welcomed by the management, who recognized this critical gap in their services.

Bakari’s psychology education provided the foundation for this initiative. His coursework in trauma-informed care, cognitive-behavioral techniques, and group therapy dynamics enabled him to design structured yet accessible support sessions. He combined this academic knowledge with insights gained through his community transformation work.

“My psychology training taught me to see beyond the obvious,” notes Bakari. “While everyone focused on the children’s physical needs, my education helped me recognize the psychological needs of the entire family system. At USIU-Africa, we learned that healing rarely happens in isolation, it requires a holistic approach to care.”

Within weeks of launching the counseling program, Bakari observed remarkable changes. “One mother told me these sessions were ‘the first time someone acknowledged that I mattered too, not just my child.’

The ripple effects extended to the children as well. As caregivers’ mental health improved, their ability to engage consistently in their children’s therapy regimens increased. Many parents saw the program as a safe space for them to ease their psychological burden. “When parents are emotionally stronger, they have more to give their children,” Bakari observes. “It’s a direct relationship that confirms the importance of addressing mental health alongside physical therapy.”

Beyond the immediate impact at CPSK, Bakari has been a transformative leader in various community initiatives. He has established peer support networks among caregivers and helped organize fundraising efforts to assist families who struggle with transportation costs and therapy fees.

“My vision is for these support systems to become permanent features at CPSK and similar institutions across Kenya,” he explains. “Many families can’t afford even the modest Kshs 500 weekly therapy fee, let alone transportation costs. By addressing both psychological and financial barriers, we can ensure more children receive consistent care.”

Bakari credits much of his approach to his experience as a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at USIU-Africa. The Program’s emphasis on transformative leadership and giving back to the community shaped his perspective on service.

“The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program taught me that leadership isn’t just about personal achievement, but about creating sustainable solutions to community challenges,” he reflects. “Their focus on ethical leadership and community transformation gave me the framework to turn observation into action at CPSK.”

Bakari’s motivation and implementation of community give-back initiatives grew significantly after participating in the leadership training program organized by the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. These structured leadership experiences provided him with the tools, network, and confidence to launch multiple community-focused projects beyond his work at CPSK.

“The leadership training, I received through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa was transformative,” Bakari shares. “It equipped me with practical frameworks for identifying community needs, designing sustainable solutions, and measuring impact. What began as one initiative at CPSK has now expanded to multiple community projects because of the support I received.

This experience has solidified Bakari’s career aspirations in community mental health. As a transformative leader who has implemented various initiatives in both Nairobi and his home county, he plans to continue with his community drives and initiatives after graduation. “My time at the Cerebral Palsy Society has shown me that sometimes the most important needs are the ones no one is talking about. To young people looking to make an impact, I would say, look for the gaps that others don’t see. Use your unique perspective and skills to address hidden needs. The most meaningful solutions often come from personal experience combined with professional training,” he says.