Venture: StrongMinds

Investment: $1.5M grant

Portfolio: Scaling Capital

Investment date: November 2021

Region(s) served: Sub-Saharan Africa

Sector: Healthcare

Core Impact Metric: Percentage of patients who are depression-free six months after treatment

Supporting an underserved sector—mental health—in sub-Saharan Africa

StrongMinds is a nonprofit that runs 10-12 week group therapy sessions in Uganda and Zambia for depressed women and youth, working to help cure them of their depressive symptoms through a community-focused model that helps them return to leading productive, fulfilled lives.

Why Rippleworks Invested:

Total funding for mental health in Africa is less than 1 percent of all health funding directed toward the continent.

With an infusion of grant capital, StrongMinds was able to grow their on the ground presence in both Zambia and Uganda, giving both governments an opportunity to see the work ‘up close’ and drive toward national-level policies around mental health.

More than 80 percent of StrongMinds clients are depression-free at the conclusion of treatment, and those results are sustained six months post-treatment.