Tom Osborn

Tom’s Shamiri model reimagines youth mental health care by creating an accessible, community-based and cost-effective system that bridges the gap left by traditional, expert-driven approaches. He is doing this by building a schools-based, widespread, universal, and accessible system on the power of well-trained near-peer providers.

Unlike conventional systems that rely on expensive, top-down frameworks led by professionals, Tom created the Shamiri model which decentralizes mental health care and makes it directly available to young people through a tiered caregiving model. Shamiri, which means "thrive" in Swahili, is building a future where young people everywhere can thrive. Starting in Kenya, this model is poised to address the global mental health crisis by equipping local youth as near-peer mental health providers.

At the heart of Tom’s innovation is its three-tiered caregiving approach, which ensures that mental health support is both scalable and tailored to individual needs. The first tier involves Shamiri Fellows, young people aged 18 to 22, recruited from local communities to deliver evidence-based interventions such as growth mindset, gratitude, and problem-solving in small group sessions. These interventions are not medical therapy but focus on enhancing well-being and providing practical tools for managing stress and anxiety. The second tier includes Shamiri Supervisors, undergraduate psychology students who mentor and guide the Fellows, ensuring program quality. The third tier involves specialized clinical experts, such as psychologists or psychiatrists, who handle more severe cases. This structured, tiered system ensures that students receive the appropriate level of care, from relatable, low-touch interventions to more intensive clinical support, making Shamiri’s model a scalable and cost-effective approach to mental health care that addresses the pressures of adolescence and school life. This system’s structure not only addresses varying degrees of mental health challenges but also ensures sustainability through its reliance on well-trained community members.

Shamiri’s practical and system-changing nature lies in its emphasis on community integration, cost-efficiency and scalability. By training local youth to deliver these interventions, Shamiri reduces the financial and logistical barriers typically associated with mental health care. Partnering with schools and the Ministry of Education, Tom integrates mental health services within existing educational structures, reaching large populations of young people where they already gather. This grassroots approach ensures that stakeholders—students, educators, and healthcare professionals—collaborate effectively creating a win-win ecosystem.

The mental health crisis among young people in under-resourced regions represents a profound and deep-rooted issue that hinders individual potential and undermines societal progress. Globally, around 250 million youths aged 10-19 struggle with mental health problems accounting for 45% of the global disease burden for this age group. In Kenya, where half the population is under 20, the issue is particularly dire, with only two child and adolescent psychiatrists available to serve the entire country. Mental health issues not only affect the quality of life but also create ripple effects that impair physical health, limit educational and career opportunities and contribute to risky behaviors like substance abuse and violence. If left unaddressed, these challenges can snowball into lifelong socio-economic difficulties.

The root of this crisis lies in systemic underfunding, socio-economic disparity and cultural stigma. Governments, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, often prioritize physical health over mental health, leaving mental health services underfunded and undervalued. As a result, there is a lack of trained professionals, infrastructure and affordable care options. In Kenya where the cost of therapy ranges between $10 and $50 per session and the average income is just $1,647 per year, mental health care is out of reach for most families. Additionally, societal stigma surrounding mental health worsens the problem, discouraging individuals from seeking help. Many communities view mental health issues as personal failings rather than legitimate health concerns further silencing those in need of support.

Efforts to address this crisis have fallen short, leaving an 80% treatment gap for African youth requiring mental health services. These failures stem from an inability to recognize the crisis as a pressing public health issue and from existing solutions that do not address the core barriers of cost and stigma. This has created a cycle of untreated mental health issues.

Tom recognizes the depth of this crisis and approaches the problem through a systemic lens. His strategy emphasizes making mental health care affordable, combating stigma, and advocating for substantial investment in mental health infrastructure. His work addresses both the symptomatic and systemic aspects of the crisis, with a focus on breaking the cycle of inaccessibility and silence that sustains it.

Tom’s journey with Shamiri began in 2018, driven by his passion to address the urgent mental health needs of young people in under-resourced communities. At the heart of Shamiri’s approach is a three-tiered caregiving model designed to provide tailored, accessible mental health support to youth while reducing stigma. The model begins with Shamiri Fellows, young people aged 18 to 22, recruited primarily from local communities through an online application process. Applicants answer questions about their interest in becoming Fellows and their ability to manage group dynamics; CVs or resumes are not required. The primary criterion is that Fellows must come from the same area as the students they will support, ensuring cultural and contextual alignment. By being close in age and background to the students, Fellows create a relatable, safe and engaging environment where students feel comfortable discussing their challenges.

Fellows complete a 10-hour training in evidence-based techniques such as growth mindset, gratitude, and value affirmations. These non-medical interventions, focused on fostering positive behaviors and targeting core beliefs, offer a practical, low-touch entry point for mental health support. Fellows deliver sessions to small groups of 6–15 students over four weeks, blending discussion with take-home activities.

To ensure quality, Fellows are supervised by undergraduate psychology students who oversee five to seven Fellows each. Supervisors provide mentorship and monitor delivery standards. For complex cases, clinical experts such as psychologists or psychiatrists intervene, forming the third tier of care. This structure ensures every student receives appropriate support. For a period of up to 4 weeks after the group sessions have been completed, Shamiri Supervisors and Clinical experts conduct 1-to-1 sessions with students that have clinical needs beyond group therapy.

In Kibera, one of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements, Shamiri conducted its first pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT), where they tested its new model for youth mental health. This initial study, involving 51 youths, produced early evidence of the Shamiri approach’s effectiveness. Building on the success of this early trial, Tom expanded Shamiri's reach with a large-scale RCT in 2019, involving 403 youths, which was published in JAMA Psychiatry and further validated the model’s effectiveness. From these early successes Tom began to scale Shamiri’s operations culminating in the establishment of the Shamiri Institute.

Shamiri now implements its school-based delivery through Shamiri Hubs and Shamiri Partners. Hubs, located in counties like Nairobi, Kiambu, and Kajiado, are semi-autonomous centers that recruit, train, and support up to 20,000 youth annually. In areas without Hubs, trained community-based organizations (CBOs) deliver the program using the same model. Both structures work directly with schools.

Implementation begins with authorization from the Ministry of Education, followed by collaboration with local officials and school principals. A designated teacher—typically the Guidance and Counselling teacher—is appointed by the principal to serve as a liaison for the program. While these teachers do not deliver sessions themselves, they play a critical facilitative role. This is a deliberate choice: involving teachers to deliver sessions could hinder impact, especially in school environments where corporal punishment persists or where existing power dynamics inhibit openness. Global research, including studies in India and the UK, has shown minimal impact when teachers deliver group-based therapy, reinforcing the need for peer-led approaches like Shamiri’s.

Instead, these designated teachers support the program by mobilizing students to attend pre-program sign-up sessions. These sessions introduce students to the program and its benefits, helping generate interest and reducing attrition. The liaison teacher also coordinates with fellow teachers to ensure students are released from class in time to attend Shamiri sessions. They work closely with Shamiri Hub Coordinators to avoid conflicts with school activities such as sports days or music festivals. At the end of the program, these designated teachers receive a certificate of facilitation in recognition of their role in supporting implementation. Their involvement helps maintain high student sign-up rates (75–80% per school) and ensures smooth integration into the school calendar.

Sessions take place in safe group settings and emphasize values like gratitude, resilience, and positive beliefs. Students sign up voluntarily during pre-program sessions organized with the school liaison teacher and are then placed into small groups of 6–15 peers for the four-week intervention led by Shamiri Fellows. Throughout the program, Fellows and Supervisors monitor students’ engagement, and cases needing additional support are flagged to Supervisors, who assess and consult with Clinical Experts as needed. Decisions about moving a student up to a higher tier of care are made collaboratively by Supervisors and Clinical Experts and about 5–10% of students are typically referred for one-to-one clinical follow-up ensuring timely and appropriate support. Schools that Shamiri has worked with report greater openness about mental health, stronger peer support networks, and improved help-seeking behaviors, with the program’s integration into the school calendar and the teacher liaison’s presence helping to institutionalize these cultural shifts.

Safeguarding protocols and structured screening ensure at-risk students are appropriately referred. In 2024, Shamiri maintained a 1:75 Fellow-to-student ratio, 1:10 Supervisor-to-Fellow ratio, and 1:10 Clinical Expert-to-Supervisor ratio. These referrals often catalyze broader school and community conversations, reducing stigma and building support for mental health.

The interventions provided through Shamiri’s model are explicitly not classified as medical therapy. Instead, they focus on enhancing well-being through evidence-based skills that promote positive beliefs and behaviors. This distinction is critical, as it aligns with legal and regulatory frameworks in Kenya, where offering non-medical interventions does not require formal licensing. By framing the program as a low-touch, skills-based approach, Shamiri avoids the complexities associated with traditional therapeutic models while delivering effective and scalable support.

Shamiri’s model is rooted in addressing the pressures and anxieties that young people commonly face, particularly those related to school and adolescence. Research and data collected from program participants indicate significant improvements in well-being, reduced anxiety, and enhanced coping mechanisms. By targeting core beliefs and fostering gratitude, Shamiri’s interventions provide a cost-effective and impactful entry point for mental health support. The program’s emphasis on relatability, peer connection, and skill-building ensures that it resonates with students while addressing their needs in a meaningful way.

Shamiri’s impact is built on strong community partnerships which help embed their model into the local ecosystem and ensure its relevance to the communities they serve. Shamiri partners with over 300 schools in Kenya, many of which are in underserved areas. These collaborations allow Shamiri to offer mental health services within the familiar environment of schools making it easier for young people to access support without stigma. Additionally, Shamiri works closely with the Ministry of Education to integrate mental health care into the national education system. These partnerships are crucial to Shamiri’s expansion as they ensure that mental health care is not an isolated service but an integrated part of the community’s structure.

Beyond partnerships with schools, Shamiri also collaborates with community-based organizations (CBOs) such as The Youth Café, Tunaweza Empowerment Organization, Activate Action, and TINADA. These partners act as "Doers-at-scale," implementing Shamiri’s model within their communities to extend its reach, promote mental health awareness, and reduce stigma. By embedding interventions into the fabric of community life, these partnerships ensure that mental health support is accessible beyond schools. Leveraging the localized knowledge and networks of CBOs, Shamiri creates a sustainable system of support that bridges schools and communities while fostering acceptance and proactive mental health care.

Shamiri’s model is designed to be cost-effective, with an average cost of less than $10 per youth served. This is a stark contrast to traditional therapy, which is on average $10-$50 per session making it inaccessible to youth in low-income communities. This affordability is made possible by leveraging local resources and using this tiered caregiving system that reduces the need for expensive professional services. Furthermore, the approach is supported by rigorous evidence-based research, with studies showing that over 80% of participants become free from depression and anxiety within just four weeks of engagement. Collaborations with institutions like Harvard University help validate Shamiri’s methods and ensure that the interventions are grounded in the latest scientific research, making them both effective and adaptable to changing needs.

The scaling of Shamiri’s impact is a key focus of Tom’s vision. By 2024, Shamiri has already served over 100,000 young people. Tom aims to reach 1 million young people annually by 2027. This ambitious growth plan is supported by the continued creation of Shamiri Hubs—regional centers that will serve as local bases for training, support and service delivery. These hubs will be strategically located in underserved regions where the need for mental health services is most urgent. Through these hubs, Shamiri will recruit, train and deploy more Shamiri Fellows, further expanding their reach.

Tom’s strategy is also to scale this model globally, not only expanding its reach across Africa but also adapting it for use in developed countries where mental health support systems often fail to address youth needs. The replicability of the Shamiri model is one of its greatest strengths. Its flexibility allows for adaptation across cultural contexts with local youth trained and supported to meet the unique needs of their communities. By building a network of hubs across regions, Shamiri’s vision is to create a global model that transforms youth mental health care.

Tom has also been instrumental in the creation of The Coalition for Scaling Mental Health (CSMH), a transformative initiative launched by four pioneering organizations—StrongMinds, Shamiri Institute, Ubuntu Center for Peace, and Friendship Bench (an Ashoka Fellow organization)—united in their mission to close the global mental health treatment gap. CSMH will advocate for systemic change, deepen research into successful implementation models, and develop a culturally inclusive measure to assess mental health and well-being across diverse contexts. By fostering collaboration, skill-sharing, and resource exchange among its members, the coalition seeks to democratize mental health care and amplify the voices of frontline implementers, ensuring that diverse perspectives shape global mental health strategies.

Tom was born and raised in the rural village of Awendo in Kenya. Growing up in a community with limited resources, he witnessed the harsh realities of poverty, and the immense pressure placed on education as a pathway to a better life. Despite these challenges, Osborn excelled academically, driven by a determination to uplift his community and make a tangible difference in the lives of those around him.

Osborn's entrepreneurial journey began at 18 when he founded GreenChar, a social enterprise that tackled environmental and health issues in Kenya. GreenChar produced eco-friendly charcoal briquettes from agricultural waste providing a sustainable alternative to traditional charcoal and firewood. This innovation not only helped reduce deforestation but also addressed the critical issue of indoor air pollution, a significant health hazard in many Kenyan households. GreenChar's impact was huge, reaching thousands of households and improving both environmental and health outcomes. The enterprise earned Osborn significant recognition, including being named one of Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Social Entrepreneurship.

Despite his entrepreneurial success, Osborn faced his own mental health struggles. The pressure to excel academically and make a difference took a toll on him and his peers. Growing up, he witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of these pressures, including the tragic loss of schoolmates to suicide. It was only during his time at Harvard University studying psychology that Osborn realized he had been struggling with his own mental health issues throughout his youth. This personal revelation highlighted the urgent need for accessible mental health resources in under-resourced regions like his hometown.

Motivated by his experiences and the glaring gap in mental health support in Kenya, Osborn founded the Shamiri Institute in 2018. Osborn is proud to dedicate his life to the cause of mental health. He believes in turning this problem into an opportunity for young people to rethink and reimagine mental health. Osborn hopes that the Shamiri model will be replicated around the world to ensure that all young people have access to appropriate mental healthcare.