Acrobatic Troupe Finds Family Through StrongMinds Therapy in Katwe, Uganda

The Katwe area of Kampala, Uganda is often referred to as a slum. Home to 35,000 people, the neighborhood sits on a rail line and consists mostly of homes constructed of discarded corrugated metal. Because many of the residents collect recyclable materials to exchange for cash, piles of plastic water bottles throughout the neighborhood reach nearly as high as the homes.

Katwe is often perceived as a crime-ridden neighborhood. While that could make it a dangerous place for non-residents, it is perfectly safe for anyone affiliated with StrongMinds, thanks to the reputation the organization has earned for helping the community.

“StrongMinds found us,” said Sudais, an 18-year-old from Katwe. Sudais and 31 other young men and women are members of Village Roots Uganda, an acrobatic troupe that met in Katwe and received depression treatment from StrongMinds volunteers. Many of the Village Roots Members did not have families and lived by alone as young children on the streets of Kampala. “I used to sleep on the roadside,” said Satif, another Village Roots member. “It would get so cold that I would have to get warm with things from the rubbish.”

The Village Roots members were recruited because of their acrobatic skills. The group easily performs backflips, somersaults, and multi-tiered human pyramids. The group aspires to be discovered for their gymnastic talents and featured on a variety show like America’s Got Talent. But, thanks in part to the group therapy they received, they found much more than fellow athletes.

“We are a family,” said Shatif. “When I first started group therapy, I was too shy to talk about my depression, but I learned that I was with people so much like me. We shared the same story, and we were able to overcome our depression together.”

Members of Village Roots still face danger in their daily lives as they search Kampala for bottles to recycle—a task that has, in the past, led to assaults by roaming street gangs. “We go out together now,” said Sudais, “and we share with each other which places are safe to go.” Regardless of the dangers they may face, they now have companionship and the tools they learned to persevere through adversity. 

With higher rates of depression than in the rest of Kampala, StrongMinds treated 1,600 people for depression in Kawe in 2024 and will likely treat more in 2025.

“I used to think I didn’t have a future,” Shatif said, “but now the future seems so bright.”