"I always felt pressured to be the best"

Optimism and vitality. Happy radiates such good energy that it seems like he has always had it easy. But that is not the case. He arrived in Spain from Nigeria at the age of just 11, after a complicated migration process and with a difficult family and personal situation. Happy grew up under the pressure to do everything right, with no space to talk about what worried him and his mental health was affected. "I only talked to my parents about the good things. I always felt pressured, it was constant pressure to be the best." The fact that he did not have spaces to express his discomfort or to ask for help made him feel that it was not important to talk about his emotions. "But there comes a time when you break down because you really can't take it anymore."

He is one of the protagonists of the testimonial video campaign of the youth community BeHenka , which is part of the Henka project, promoted by the Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Maternal and Child Hospital , Solidaritat Sant Joan de Déu , SOM Salut Mental 360º and Z Zurich Foundation . The young people who star in the campaign explain different experiences with resilience and emotional well-being and talk about situations that have generated discomfort for them such as social pressure on social networks, losses or complex family situations.

Happy's story focuses on the importance of expressing yourself, identifying emotions and being able to share how you feel and, if necessary, asking for help. "Life makes more sense when you realize that the person you really need is yourself."

Follow the BeHenka community on the Instagram channel @Be_Henka