About Duncan
Walking with people through their darkest nights
Author, mental health advocate, suicide survivor, public speaker, and co-founder of the Mental Health Community Zambia.
A journey no one chooses
The beginning
Duncan's story begins in the quiet desperation that millions know but few speak about. Growing up in Zambia, he faced challenges that pushed him to the edge — and beyond. But survival became a calling, and that calling became a movement.
Profile
Duncan Nkhoma
Zambian author, mental health advocate, and suicide survivor dedicated to building systems of hope across communities, schools, and prisons.
Duncan Nkhoma is the author of Suicide Is Not a Solution, a raw and honest account of his journey through suicidal ideation to hope and healing. His writing has reached readers across Zambia and beyond, offering both testimony and practical guidance.
As co-founder of the Mental Health Community Zambia and the driving force behind Hopeline Zambia, Duncan works to build the infrastructure that Zambia's mental health crisis demands — from toll-free crisis lines to counsellor training programmes.
He speaks regularly in schools, churches, prisons, and community gatherings across all ten provinces, carrying a simple message: you are not alone, and your story is not over.
Journey
Milestones
2018
Survived
Duncan's personal crisis became the catalyst for everything that followed.
2020
Mental Health Community Zambia
Co-founded MHCZ to create peer support networks and reduce stigma.
2020
Suicide Is Not a Solution
Published his debut book — part memoir, part survival guide.
2023
10 Provinces Book Tour
Began taking the message to schools and communities across every province in Zambia.
Schools · Churches · Prisons · Homes
Speaking hope into communities
Duncan's speaking engagements reach the places where mental health support is most needed and least available. From secondary school assemblies to prison outreach, every talk carries the same message: there is hope, and help is closer than you think.
Life after healing
What comes next
Healing is not a single moment. It is a daily practice — a choice to show up, to speak, to keep walking even when the path is unclear.
For Duncan, life after healing means using every platform available to break the silence around mental health in Zambia. It means writing books, training counsellors, and answering the phone when someone calls the crisis line at 2 a.m.
It means believing — stubbornly, relentlessly — that no one should have to fight alone.
Focus areas
- Suicide prevention and crisis intervention
- Mental health awareness in schools
- Community outreach and peer support
- Book tours and public speaking
- Counsellor training and capacity building
Roles
- Author
- Public Speaker
- Mental Health Advocate
- Co-founder, Mental Health Community Zambia
- Founder, Hopeline Zambia
By day
Engineer and advocate
When he is not speaking or writing, Duncan works as an engineer — bringing the same problem-solving mindset to mental health infrastructure that he brings to technical challenges.
The person behind the mission
Duncan Nkhoma
Duncan Nkhoma
Founder & Lead Advocate
Author of Suicide Is Not a Solution. Mental health advocate, suicide survivor, public speaker, and co-founder of the Mental Health Community Zambia.
Let's work together
Whether you need a speaker for your school, church, or community event — or you want to partner on mental health initiatives in Zambia — Duncan would love to hear from you.