Newsweek
"As part of Newsweek's cooperation with the Unaweza Foundation and the Young Heads program, of which I am an ambassador, I talked about difficult parenting and challenges faced by parents of children struggling with mental health problems. While the printed text was authorized and consistent with what I wanted to convey, the version cut and interspersed with cosmetics advertisements distorts the meaning – I link these articles out of obligation. "
Newsweek – special edition with Unaweza Foundation
About the Unaweza Foundation and the Young Heads program
The Unaweza Foundation was established by Martyna Wojciechowska, a well-known Polish journalist, traveler, and social activist. The foundation runs multiple programs focused on children’s welfare, with the Young Heads (Mlode Glowy) initiative specifically addressing the mental health crisis among Polish youth. The program conducts large-scale research into the emotional well-being of children and adolescents, publishes reports that inform public policy, and runs awareness campaigns aimed at parents, educators, and healthcare professionals. As an ambassador of the Young Heads program, I contribute by sharing the parent’s perspective in media appearances and public events.
What the Newsweek articles covered
The special edition of Newsweek produced in cooperation with the Unaweza Foundation featured two articles based on extensive interviews. The first explored the loneliness of parenting a child in mental health crisis — the isolation that comes when friends, family, and institutions fail to understand what a family is going through. The second article described the experience of having a child hospitalized in a psychiatric ward: the fear, the helplessness, the bureaucratic obstacles, and the long road to recovery that follows discharge. Both pieces aimed to break the silence around a topic that millions of Polish families face but few talk about openly.
The tension between print and digital
The quote in the frontmatter of this page reflects an important nuance. The printed version of the articles preserved the intended message and tone. However, the online versions — cut into shorter segments and interspersed with commercial advertisements — lost much of their coherence and emotional weight. This is a recurring challenge in media advocacy: the original intent of raising awareness about children’s mental health can be diluted when editorial and commercial interests collide. The articles are linked here out of transparency, but the printed edition remains the authoritative version.
Why parents speaking up matters
The stigma surrounding children’s mental illness in Poland remains significant. Many parents fear judgment — from other parents, from schools, even from extended family. By sharing personal experiences in a mainstream publication like Newsweek, the goal is to normalize these conversations and show other families that they are not alone. Every parent who reads about another family’s struggle and recognizes their own situation takes a step closer to seeking help. That is the real value of media engagement in mental health advocacy.