At 16, Kai is learning to manage both the everyday pressures of school and the emotional challenges of being an openly gay teenager. A Grade 9 student at Ernesto Rondon High School in Quezon City, he generally finds the school supportive, yet his experience shows how mental health can be deeply affected by illness, discrimination, and the struggle to feel accepted.
Kai’s mental health was significantly tested when he developed facial palsy, a condition that results in paralysis or weakness affecting one side of the face. His situation required repeated therapy sessions, caused him to miss classes, and strained his family’s finances. The visible changes to his face led to unwanted attention and insensitive comments, which affected his confidence and self-esteem.Despite this, he pushed himself to continue studying and even excel academically, supported by friends and by parents who reminded him to respect himself and keep going. School activities became Kai’s coping mechanism. Joining clubs, volunteering in the student council, and participating in events helped him release stress and feel a sense of purpose.
However, his emotional well-being was severely impacted when a teacher directed demeaning and sexual remarks at him because of his identity, making him feel ashamed and unwelcome in class. He said this experience stayed with him.
In contrast, he described how affirming teachers helped restore his sense of safety. One Physical Education teacher told him that they recognized and accepted his identity and that he could take on the role of the girl in their dance performance if he wanted to. For him, this moment mattered because it made him feel seen and respected.
Before Save the Children’s Project MIND, mental health was rarely discussed at his home or school. Through training, co-design workshops, advocacy activities, and an Information, Education, and Communications campaign, Kai was reassured that his and his classmates’ mental health and well-being are important. “My confidence in advocating for mental health increased because I saw its impact not only on me but also on my classmates,” he said.
Through Project MIND, Kai became more open about his feelings, more confident as a peer advocate, and better equipped to cope with stress.