Mbabane – Mental health activists, community members, youth leaders, and students are planning a mental health walk from Baha’i to Mvutjini, where they will record their experiences to improve their emotional literacy.
SCRIPTit! will host the Walk and Release event on Saturday at 9 a.m., which will focus on the party’s personal growth and emotional well-being.
The goal is to have participants better equipped with an understanding of emotional literacy and its importance. They will also learn practical journaling techniques as a coping and self-reflection tool, develop greater self-awareness and emotional understanding, experience the therapeutic benefits of movement and reflection and leave feeling empowered to adopt healthier coping mechanisms in their daily lives. 
SCRIPT’s founder and executive director, Sifiso Shadi Magongo, highlighted that the theme of the event is ‘Where Thoughts Have a Destination: Promoting Emotional Literacy Through Journaling and Reflection’.
Magongo, a mental health graduate, said the event is an important reflection of the struggles of mental toll issues among the youth, where approximately 1 in 7 adolescents globally experiences a mental health condition.
Moreover, many young people continue to face challenges related to stress, anxiety, loneliness, grief, unemployment, academic pressure, substance abuse, and other social factors that affect their emotional well-being.
“In a world where young people are increasingly exposed to social pressures, uncertainty, academic stress, relationship challenges, and emotional burdens, there is a growing need for healthy and accessible coping mechanisms. Unfortunately, many individuals are not equipped with the skills needed to identify, understand, and process their emotions effectively,” he said.
The Walk and Release event is designed as a unique wellness experience that combines physical movement, reflection, emotional literacy, and journaling, Magongo said, and it recognizes that many people carry thoughts, worries, frustrations, grief, fears, and unanswered questions without a safe space to process them.
The initiative holds that thoughts need a destination. Through walking, guided reflection, and journaling activities inspired by the SCRIPTit movement, participants are encouraged to release emotional burdens, increase self-awareness, and develop healthier ways of engaging with their emotions. It will promote emotional literacy, the ability to recognise, understand, express, and manage emotions effectively.
“Emotional literacy is a foundational life skill that contributes to stronger relationships, improved mental well-being, healthier decision-making, and greater resilience.
“Research has shown that activities such as reflective writing, journaling, physical exercise, and social connection can contribute positively to mental health by reducing stress, increasing self-awareness, and supporting emotional regulation,” Magongo said.
The gathering seeks to experience several key lessons:
Emotions need healthy outlets.
- Ignoring or suppressing emotions can impact our overall well-being. Healthy outlets such as journaling, therapy, conversation, movement, and reflection help individuals process their experiences constructively.
Emotional literacy is a lifeskill
- Understanding what and why we feel it enables us to communicate more effectively, manage challenges better, and build healthier relationships with ourselves and society at large.
Healing begins with awareness.
- Personal growth often starts with self-reflection. Creating intentional moments to pause, think, and write can help individuals gain clarity about their thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
Community Matters
- Mental and emotional well-being thrive in environments where people feel seen, heard, and supported. The event encourages participants to recognise the value of connection and collective support.
Small Habits Can Create Lasting Change
- Simple practices such as journaling for a few minutes a day, checking in with one’s emotions, and engaging in regular physical activity can have meaningful long-term benefits for emotional well-being.
