Beneath the country’s beauty, I encountered a serious issue: widespread anxiety, depression and high suicide rates. The aim of the exhibition was to increase understanding and offer hope to those who struggle themselves, or who have loved ones facing similar battles.

We documented most of them, and some were brave enough to have their stories public presented.

The first image and text shared the background — the causes of burnout, mental collapse, spiritual despair, or in some cases, suicidal intent. The second showed where the person was at the time of the exhibition, and what happened in between — how a journey that seemed destined for tragedy was interrupted, and life continued.

These stories are deeply encouraging and strengthen faith.

First picture:

My parents split when I was only three. I remember Dad’s aggressive behaviour and Mum shovelling us kids into the car in the middle of the night leaving town to escape him. I missed Dad, because he was still my Dad. A seed found its way into my garden — pretty on the outside but laced with rejection and abandonment.   //   As a teenager, I heard about Jesus. I learned to play the guitar and toured the world receiving huge recognition for my new talent. This fuelled my acceptance tank. I got into a relationship with a girl, who then left in search of brighter lights. This led me to the darkest forest of my identity. When returned, she had found another. There was now a towering tree built from the rejection of my childhood.   //   Unable to deal with my pain, I went to a remote place to end it all in my car. I was about to become a statistic.   //   But I was found by a passer-by. They stopped my plan.

Second picture:

As I tried to repair my life, I remembered some things I had learnt as a teenager and started asking Jesus to uproot this tree and give me hope. Hope is the first casualty of rejection. My source of hope was faith. And out of hope came love for myself, as well as for other people.   //   Today, I still have my struggles. But I also have many tales of good things that I am truly happy for. I am now so grateful for the love and faithfulness of God and how He has saved me. I now have real hope. I know that there is a real way to slay the tree before it falls. There is a tangible way out, which leads to life and not to death.

First picture: 

My trigger was the death of my mother. She wasn’t going to be there to protect me anymore. I didn’t know at the time that this would be the beginning of a two-year struggle with gambling — just to block out the hurt.   //   The comfort in the lies and deceit were robbing me of my dignity and I was letting it happen. No one should know of my shame. How easily the darkness consumed me from the inside out.   //   I hatched the perfect plan to take my life. What is so perfect about a plan to take the gift of life and shove it back in the giver’s face, I wondered? Who told me no one would be there for me, that I was worthless and that I couldn’t and wouldn’t be forgiven? Who said the only way out was to take my own life and to do everyone a favour?  //   LIAR!

Second picture: 

To confront the truth was so hard, I guess that’s why death seemed more appealing. The more truth exposed, the more the darkness lifted. It was tough because I felt so alone and trapped.   //   Someone told me I was worth it and they’d help me! Three times I tried to end it all. Three times a visitor arrived to interrupt my plan.   //   Wow, I was forgiven! I’m still here and I was saved. It has been 7 years since I entered a bar with the intention of gambling every cent away. It wasn’t easy. I have discovered that the hardest things an addict may be faced with is believing in and forgiving yourself. But I did it. I’d be lying if I said it was easy.   //   Now I’m training to help others in the fields of mental health and addiction. I need them to know the truth — that there is a way out.

First picture:

Depression — no hope, just utter despair. Everything in life is seen through a negative lens. Darkness, no light at the end of the tunnel. In fact there was no tunnel, just a deep, black hole. No peace, only intense, extreme emotional and mental torment. I desperately wanted it to stop. But how?   //   Home — but not present. A faithful wife, two beautiful kids and great friends. My job used all my gifts, talents and experience. And yet still no hope — where did it go? Endless negative, horrible thoughts. I had no control over them; they just kept coming. What was real, what wasn’t? It was too difficult to tell.   //   This was my life. But I so longed for a way out. The only option seemed to be to end my life. Then the thoughts would stop. Then there would be peace. Then it would end.   //   I believed in God. Where was God? He felt so far away — so very far away.

Second picture:

But I found Him. Not at the end, but in the middle. Right there in the darkness of my despair. Where there was no hope and He seemed so far away, I found Him. God was so near even if I did not feel Him. I found hope, peace, and rest.   //   There were many strategies — I took medication. I read. I went to counselling. I talked with my best friend. But most of all I found Him. I let Him heal my body, my mind, my soul and my spirit. I realised that all the way through I never let Him go. But most importantly, He never let me go and He never will.   //   It wasn’t a quick fix. It was a long, hard road to recovery — to wholeness, to healthy thinking, to a balanced life, to true contentment. But I discovered some life-changing truths that I would not have learned any other way.   //   I learned to recognise the lies I was believing and replace them with the truth. This has been the hardest journey of my life, but I am a better man for it.

First picture: 

I cut myself just to watch myself bleed. I can understand this physical pain. I know why it hurts and it masks every other hurt. I don’t want to hurt others anymore. I numb myself with drugs and with drink.   //   I am lost within a complete and all-consuming loneliness — who is there? There is no one. I am alone in my darkness even with people all around me. I am consumed with disappointments and frustrations. They are telling me to get over it and to pull myself together. How?   //   Why does it hurt? Constant hurt. It seems I only let people down as I am trying to find my place in this world. I just want to be accepted but I can’t seem to do anything right. What a failure. Why am I this way? What is wrong with me?  //  I search for someone who cares about me, who loves me. But I am only used and tossed aside time after time again. Why do I let this happen? Broken and desperate, I didn’t know who to turn to. How long can I live like this, standing on the edge of a cliff…

Second picture: 

While locked away in my bedroom with nowhere left to turn I cried out — forgive me! Save me!   //   As I cried out, He answered me. It was like the curtains being opened. Light came pouring in. I knew I was forgiven; the fog and the haze lifted from my eyes. I feel totally different, a new person.   //   I can see beauty and light everywhere. I truly opened my eyes and saw; opened my heart and was consumed with His awesome love.   //    God is not dead — He’s alive! He is with me always, everywhere I am, everywhere I see.   //    There is hope. I have hope. I know that I am who I am supposed to be. I am wonderfully made.   //   I will strive to be the best I can be in every corner of my life. I know it will not always be easy but I know I can do it because I am never alone. God is with me. I will trust in Him because He is the rock at the bottom.

First picture:

As a 14-year-old growing up in Tonga, I experienced some of my darkest times. Our family all lived under the same roof, and although my Dad was present, he wasn’t really there. He had a strong work ethic, but he struggled with alcoholism which meant he didn’t have time for his family. As a result, my Mum raised me and my three younger siblings on her own. They were robbed of their father.   //   As the oldest, I felt it was my responsibility to step up and fill his role.   //   I was the closest thing we had to the man of the house. In turn I was also robbed of my childhood.   //   In the midst of this challenge and hardship, I had to learn how to support my Mum through depression, while also caring for my younger siblings. Life didn’t seem fair. There were some evenings when Dad would come home drunk and Mum and I would spend the whole night talking him out of killing himself.   //   Everything felt like it was falling apart.

Second picture:

My faith and the community it provided sustained me through that time. It was hard to keep a healthy perspective, but having their support helped me to be a rock for my Mum and family. A lot of prayer helped me to keep my head up and have strength.   //   That experience has become a reference point for me. I figure that if I can make it through that as a teenager, then I can make it through anything.   //   Although there were dark moments, I began to develop a deep-seated belief that, at the very least, if I have my faith, there is always hope. Since then, my dad has stopped drinking and has become such an amazing and encouraging father. Our family has never been so close. It feels like all the lost years have been restored to us.   //   I’m now a youth worker and a poet. I have the privilege of creating safe spaces for young people to express themselves and to help them navigate through tough times.

The stories were written by the participants. Our role as the creative team was to ensure consistency and bring the whole artwork together. With the participants’ permission, we made light edits — correcting grammar, moving a few sentences from one image to another, and shortening some sections so the text would fit beneath the photographs.