Breaking the silence: Zimbabwean youth leader calls for urgent investment in mental health
PhD researcher Tanatswa Amanda Chikaura founded the Ndinewe Foundation to provide culturally relevant mental health resources to Zimbabwean youth. Her work integrates mental health education into sports, a model being highlighted at a UN event ahead of the FIFA finals.
Why it matters
Integrating mental health advocacy into sports provides accessible support systems for young people in underserved regions.
For Tanatswa Amanda Chikaura, mental health advocacy began with a personal loss: while studying psychology at the University of Zimbabwe, she learned that a fellow student had died by suicide.
The tragedy exposed a stark reality: Many young people facing mental health challenges had nowhere to turn for support.
“I saw the gap. I saw the need” she recalled. “As a young person, I realised that we needed youth-driven solutions for youth mental health challenges.”
Today, the 26-year-old PhD researcher at the University of Cambridge leads the Ndinewe Foundation, a Zimbabwean organization that provides young people with locally and culturally relevant mental health resources, peer support and education.
Ndinewe translates to I am with you , in English.
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