On a quiet Friday morning, June 13th, the KILELE Health Association office transformed into a haven of healing. Cancer warriors and caregivers gathered not only to remember those they had lost but to begin processing the grief that lingers long after the final goodbye. The room was filled with silence, but it was not empty; it was full of names unspoken and memories unfinished.

This was the setting of the Loss and Grief Debriefing Session, held in collaboration with Amani Counselling Centre and Training Institute, which aimed to provide emotional support through expressive therapy. This is a growing approach in grief care for individuals who have walked the long journey of cancer care, many of them now navigating life after loss.

Led by counsellors Dismass Ochieng and Naomi Mwikali, the session opened with an honest dialogue on the nature of loss. Participants were gently guided through a structured experience centred on understanding grief, acknowledging pain, and finding peace through shared stories.

Through an expressive activity called the Tree of Impact & Memory, each participant coloured symbolic trees, their roots and branches filled with memories and meanings. In one phase, they expressed how their loss had shaped them. In another, they honoured their loved ones using colours, and heartfelt words.

 “Our goal was to create an environment where individuals felt seen, heard, and supported,” said Mwikali. “Grief doesn’t always speak in words. Sometimes, it shows up in silence. We wanted to create a space where people could process what language alone cannot express.”

By the end of the session, the once-blank trees had transformed into vibrant tributes painted with resilience and love. These were later mounted on a Memory Wall inside the KILELE Health office, serving not just as arts, but as anchors of remembrance symbolizing loss, love, and healing.

 “It’s more than art,” said Churchill Otieno, KILELE Health’s Navigation Officer. “Every tree is a story; a visual testimony that grief may bend us, but it does not break us.”

Facilitator Dismass Ochieng echoed that sentiment, noting how art offered new channels for healing:
“We saw people smile through their tears. There was reconnection with themselves, their loved ones, and with others in the room.”

The debriefing session forms part of KILELE Health Association’s broader commitment to provide holistic support to cancer warriors and caregivers addressing not only the body, but also the emotional and spiritual wellbeing of those affected.

“At KILELE Health, recovery goes beyond the physical,” Churchill added. “We’re here to restore dignity, affirm emotional pain, and create safe spaces where true healing begins.”