“After I got out of the treatment center last time, I knew what made me happy,” Selena explained, “and that was connection.”
However, at the behest of her doctor, Selena’s planned philanthropic visit to Kenya to see the schools she helped raise money to build was delayed by several years due to her kidney transplant in 2017. Once she finally wanted to travel in 2019, she vowed to visit every three years. month
“Actually I never feel good enough,” admits Selena. “Even when I’m on stage in front of a crowd, I’ll always find one person who doesn’t like me and I trust them, I want to believe in myself. The people I meet here in Kenya are so giving, I just wanted to feel like I deserved to be here with them.”
During her time at the Maasai Mara, Selena bonded with the students, talking about love, ambition and, in a very emotional conversation with a woman, suicidal ideation.
After her time in Kenya, Selena traveled directly to London and Paris to promote her music, but she struggled to adjust to her life as a celebrity. “It seems like a waste of time,” he said. “What do I do now?”
Later admitting that “part of my heart is still in Kenya,” Selena admitted, “Sometimes I feel guilty being there. I hate that, I feel like I went out and shot and I experienced it, but it was really hard because I felt so selfish . . Do I feel great? Yes, and do I feel I have made an impact? Yes, but do I feel I have done enough? No.”
“Talking to someone about mental health in Kenya, it’s beautiful,” he continued. “I don’t know if I feel like, ‘Oh, I did and I’m a great person.’ No, this is just the beginning for me.”