MANCHESTER, NH – Jean-Pierre Kikuna has traveled a long and winding road over the course of his life and the latest stop on that journey has brought him to help people in the Queen City.
A native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a fluent speaker of five different languages, Kikuna grew up in France and eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. His hope was to find work at United Nations headquarters in New York and returning to his native Africa to help those in need.
Although he couldn’t secure a job at the United Nations, a friend convinced Kikuna to move to New Hampshire 19 years ago and he’s been here ever since, eventually earning a master’s degree from Southern New Hampshire University in Criminal Justice with a specialization in terrorism and homeland security.
On Aug. 16, Kikuna welcomed Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais and other local dignitaries for the ribbon-cutting for his new mental health organization: Alliance Family and Community Care.
Located at 1001 Elm St., Alliance Family and Community Care’s eight-member team helps people with a variety of issues, with Kikuna noticing two specializations in particular that have become the focus of his practice over the past few weeks.
The first specialization is assistance with recovery from substance abuse, a topic that Kikuna has gained experience working with various other organizations in the Manchester area such as WestBridge.
“There are many people in the Manchester area who are looking to move past their substance abuse, but often they just don’t have the support to do it,” he said.
The other specialization has come from his group’s support for the mental needs of Manchester’s immigrant population, with many immigrants coming from cultures where mental healthcare continues to hold a stigma.
“The people of New Hampshire need help, regardless of what language you speak or what the color of your skin is and that’s why we opened this office,” he said. “People need help sometimes and when it’s not addressed, it can affect your overall well being.”
More information can be found on the Alliance Family and Community Care website, alliancefamilyandcommunity.org