By By Clinton
There’s a weight most men carry that no one sees — the invisible burden of being “the provider.”
It’s not just about money. It’s about identity. Worth. Respect.
And for too many of us, it’s also about silence.
From a young age, we’re taught that to be a man means to provide — for our families, partners, children, sometimes even our extended families. The moment we start making money, we stop talking about how we feel. Responsibility replaces rest. Hustle replaces healing. We become machines built to earn, not humans allowed to feel.
But here’s the truth we don’t say out loud:
This pressure is breaking us.
We sit quietly in matatus or offices, mentally calculating bills and deadlines. We smile at home while inside we’re overwhelmed. We give, and give, and give — until there’s nothing left for ourselves. And when we struggle financially, we don’t talk.
We isolate.
We shut down.
We disappear.
Because in a world where your value as a man is tied to how much you earn, failure doesn’t just feel like a financial hit — it feels like losing your identity.
The result?
High rates of depression.
Unspoken anxiety.
Men taking their lives silently, because asking for help feels like weakness.
It shouldn’t be this way.
We need a new narrative. One that says a man’s worth is not in his wallet, but in his presence, his effort, his character. One where vulnerability is strength — not shame.
It’s okay to provide. It’s powerful to care. But it’s also human to rest. To ask for help. To say, “I’m not okay.”
You are not alone.
And you are more than what you bring to the table — you are the table.
