When Blessing Makanjuola gave birth to her second child, she expected the familiar warmth of motherhood. Instead, she found herself slipping into an unfamiliar fog one filled with forgetfulness, detachment, and exhaustion.
Two weeks later, she was diagnosed with postnatal depression, a condition she had never heard of. That moment changed everything.
“Motherhood is not a journey you do alone,” she recalls. “I learnt to speak up, ask for help, and be more empathetic to other women.”
A graduate of Mass Communication, Blessing’s transition into mental health advocacy was born out of pain but fueled by purpose. She now channels her communication skills into storytelling, using her voice to break the silence surrounding maternal mental health.
“My background in communication helped me connect with people through storytelling and active listening,” she says. “Those skills have been crucial in my advocacy.”
Blessing’s journey also exposed gaps in Nigeria’s healthcare system. She recalls moments when nurses dismissed her feelings and choices during childbirth, a reflection of what many women face.
“The government should put policies in place that help women make easy decisions about how they want to deliver their babies,” she says. “Nurses need to be educated about kindness, empathy, and compassion.”
For her, advocacy is not just about policy; it’s about humanity. Blessing believes every woman deserves to be heard, supported, and treated with dignity especially in her most vulnerable moment: bringing life into the world.