19/09/2025
Tiko and Phola Unite to Tackle Mental Health in Schools
On 17 September 2025, we had the privilege of hosting a training session with Thembekazi Majozi, Mental Health Officer at Tiko. Tiko is a Non-Profit Organisation leveraging technology to transform sexual and reproductive health for underserved girls in urban and peri-urban Africa who face the “triple threat” of unintended pregnancy, HIV, and sexual violence.
By integrating a mental health–focused approach, Tiko, together with Phola NPO, is bringing mental health services to schools. The aim is to identify symptoms of mental health challenges in adolescents – focusing on young people from the age of 15 to 24, any gender and provide a more efficient system of support in order to address these issues.
The training focused on depression — its causes, signs, and strategies for addressing it. Our Phola mental health and psychosocial facilitators (service providers and mobilisers) gained valuable knowledge to enhance their school sessions, helping tackle underlying mental health issues that often contribute to the triple threat affecting young learners.
Through integrating technology, Tiko provides a range of services for supporting clients through the TIKO app and also does a screening process for identifying individuals battling with mental health through the PHQ2 pre-test and PHQ9 post-test, who will be further refered to trained professionals who will assist them with their mental health issues.
This partnership between Phola and Tiko represents a powerful step toward holistic support for young people. By combining psychosocial interventions with technology, the initiative not only tackles the visible challenges of sexual and reproductive health but also addresses the often-hidden mental health struggles that contribute to them.
