Our Story

Thank you for stopping by to learn more about The Grace N Foundation Inc.

The Grace N Foundation Inc was formed to celebrate the life of Ms. Grace Nkemjika Okafor a mother who suffered from mental illness for many years after giving birth to three boys. Unfortunately, after giving birth to her last-born son, her illness worsened. One evening, her last child was very ill, and she took him to get treated and she returned home the next day without him and no one to date never knew what happened to the little boy. This was the beginning of a long fight with mental illness that eventually took her life at the age of 72 years old.

Grace was a quiet and reserved individual. She does not like arguments or trouble. Her story may not fit in with the norm, but we have no doubt it will be representative of many families out there in some form. In the early days, Grace’s mental illness was not as severe, but its presence was felt tangibly. It progressively got worse and we saw some horrific times together through the years as she experiences episode off and on. In Nigeria (Africa), people blame others and juju/voodoo for causing mental illness and sickness due to lack of knowledge. Our family never knew we were going to be out here one day speaking about this subject, but we have always said that we will speak out about it and do something about it because of its stigma in our society especially in Africa.

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Through our initiatives, we strive to educate, support and improve the way society treats and views mental health in African Communities. As a result, more people can speak openly about what they are experiencing and seek professional help without the fear of judgement, discrimination or harassment.