Rita Auma

Rita Auma is the author of Dear Me and Dear Us, a lawyer by profession, and a mental health advocate. Her writing draws on her own experience of mental illness and the lives of people she has met along the way. She writes candidly about receiving care, relationships, faith and the work of finding language for difficult experiences.

In Dear Me, Rita uses personal stories and letters to herself to reflect on her life. Dear Us brings her experience into conversation with other people's stories, including what it can mean to be heard, misunderstood and supported while seeking care.

Advocacy and lived experience

Rita founded Heart to Heart Spaces, a mental health community that champions a client- and patient-centred approach to mental wellness. Its work includes advocacy, education and helping people and their loved ones find support. It is a separate organisation from the Dear Us platform.

She serves on the Butabika Hospital Research and Ethics Committee and as a Person with Lived Experience Consultant on the Digitising Psychosis Project under the Mental Health Data Prize at Butabika Hospital. These roles bring her lived-experience perspective into research and conversations about mental health data.

Uganda's Ministry of Health has recognised Rita for her contribution to mental health advocacy. She also creates mental health content and curates conversations that make room for people to speak about their experiences.

Rita and Dear Us

Dear Us brings her books, public writing and educational work into one place. Readers can explore the books, adults can consider available learning programmes and events, and organisations can enquire about workshops or speaking engagements.

Rita contributes as an author and advocate with lived experience. Her work on this platform does not replace care from an appropriately qualified health professional.