Prince Harry and his wife Meghan attended an inaugural summit on mental health at a school run by a local nonprofit linked to his foundation in Abuja, Nigeria's capital, as they begin their first trip to Africa's most populous country.
The couple was invited to visit Nigeria by the head of the defense team.
At Lightway Academy, run by a non-profit organization supported by the Archewell Foundation, Harry and Meghan were greeted with applause and serenades from dancers and singers.
They talked about mental health, a topic that carries a deep-rooted stigma in conservative Nigeria.
“A lot of people don’t want to talk about it because it’s invisible. It's something in our mind that we can't see. It's not like a broken leg, it's not like a broken wrist,” Harry said.
“Every person in this room, the youngest, the oldest, every person has mental health. So you have to take care of yourself so you can take care of other people,” Harry said, adding that there is “no shame” in acknowledging that.
Meghan said they were honored to make their first visit to Nigeria and urged the students not to suffer in silence.
“Just make sure you're taking care of yourself and that starts with your mental health, really talking about whatever is going on with you,” she said.
The couple also visited a kindergarten class and when they were introduced to a five-year-old pupil, the oldest in the class, Meghan said: “Our son Archie is five. He turned five last week.”
(By Abraham Achirga and Camillus Eboh)
Source: CNN Brasil
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