Growing up in Liberia, many children grapple with mental health challenges rooted in years of civil conflict and widespread poverty.
Exposure to violence, displacement, and instability has left deep psychological scars, contributing to anxiety, trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among young people. Studies indicate that nearly 24 per cent of adolescents in such environments experience mental distress.
For Mercy Hinneh, the struggles were deeply personal. Now a mother of two and the founder of the God Blue Prints Foundation, Hinneh grew up in an environment she describes as marked by fear, coercion, and spiritual confusion.
With her father absent and her mother relocating to the United States in 1997 through a diversity programme, she was left in the care of relatives who she says subjected her to severe physical and psychological abuse.
“I know many people do know Liberia for the prolonged civil war whose effects get adolescents into unsafe sexual practices and substance abuse so as to cope with the resultant trauma,” Hinneh says. “But for me, growing up as a small girl, my challenge was different. I come from a family that has generations and generations of witches. It is not even a secret. I was exposed to this at a very early age and I was already getting recruited to lead the next generation of witches.”
Matters turned increasingly dark when her family began introducing her to magic and spells, a practice she notes past generations had perfected into a way of life.
Hinneh views this type of trauma as a critical mental health issue that persists widely across Africa but remains largely ignored.
She wanted to break the cycle to become a doctor, but her resistance only led to further caging, physical torture, and humiliation.
“I would sleep and get these dreams of our family living in a luxury house underneath water,” she recalls. “I found that strange. It was part of that magic and spell. Not able to withstand this, I decide to leave Liberia and join my mother in the US. If I hadn’t broken away, I would be dead by now.”
Hinneh believes that difficult move saved her life. Reflecting on her journey, she acknowledges the severe impact of her childhood. “My story is shocking. Rather, you might find this unbelievable. The good thing is that I have now overcome it all as much as I still carry with me the scars of my past. They are a testimony of what God has done in my life,” she says.
Years after moving abroad, Hinneh returned to Africa to work with vulnerable youth. Over the past two months, she has travelled across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda, visiting orphanages, informal settlements, and street communities to evaluate the challenges facing vulnerable children.
Her observations highlight a troubling picture of institutional and street life.
Kenya alone has an estimated 46,639 people living on the streets according to government statistics, though non-governmental organisations suggest the number of street-connected youth nationwide could reach as high as 300,000.
The country also hosts approximately 1,000 orphanages caring for about 45,000 children.
Hinneh notes that many children she encountered face significant emotional deprivation stemming from unstable caregiving environments and disrupted family structures. “One common reality I have seen everywhere is early trauma. Many children grow up without consistent love, routine or a sense of belonging,” she says.
She explains that children raised without strong emotional bonds are at high risk of developing conditions such as Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) or Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder. These mental health challenges make it difficult for them to form trust and maintain healthy relationships later in life.
In many orphanages, Hinneh observed under-resourced facilities struggling to meet basic developmental needs. “The buildings are often dilapidated, nutrition is poor and caregivers are overstretched because funding is limited. Children need more than shelter; they need emotional connection, stimulation and individual attention,” she says.
Research supports her observations, showing that prolonged institutional care without adequate nurturing can negatively affect brain development, leading to chronic loneliness, low self-esteem, and a lasting sense of abandonment. Most children entering institutional care have already experienced severe trauma, including parental loss, abuse, or extreme poverty, resulting in unresolved grief and PTSD compounded by social stigma.
For street-connected children, the situation is equally complex. Lacking stable family relationships, they have little opportunity to develop healthy emotional attachments or social skills. Hinneh believes these realities demand urgent, coordinated intervention from international and local communities.
“Emotional neglect and the inability to understand one’s identity because there is no family structure are forms of human rights abuse. This should not be normal for any child,” Hinneh says.
Looking ahead, Hinneh plans to return to the US to source funding and partnerships. Her goal is to launch structured programmes focused on mental health support, education, and social reintegration for vulnerable children across the continent.
Beyond individual experiences, Hinneh argues that broader political conditions continue to drive childhood vulnerability in Africa. “In my opinion, political instability remains one of the main drivers of poverty in developing countries,” she says.
Her travels have revealed similar patterns of trauma linked to conflict, inequality, and economic hardship across different borders. “Every country has stories of children carrying invisible wounds. If we do not address mental health and family stability, we risk losing an entire generation,” she says.