Breaking the silence: Zimbabwean youth leaders call for urgent investment in mental health

This tragedy reveals a harsh reality: Many young people facing mental health challenges have nowhere to turn for support.

“I saw the gap. I saw the need,” he recalled. “As a young person, I realize that we need youth-based solutions to overcome youth mental health challenges.”

Today, the 26-year-old PhD researcher at Cambridge University leads the Ndinewe Foundation, an organization in Zimbabwe that provides mental health resources, peer support and locally and culturally relevant education to young people.

Ndinewe translated into I’m with youin English.

“Our ultimate goal is to ensure young people have the resources and tools they need, not only to support themselves, but to support others, and to ensure that those tools and resources are locally and culturally relevant” he said.

For example, through community initiatives, including sports and mental health initiatives, the foundation’s primary focus is integrating mental health education into sports activities for children and youth.

Starting from local to global

On Friday, Chikaura will join 14 other PBBs Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals at UN Headquarters for One World, One Game, One Goala youth-focused event held ahead of the FIFA finals that will highlight the role of sport in moving the world forward Sustainable Development Goals.

The summit will also launch a new youth mental health campaign aimed at encouraging young people around the world to talk openly about mental health, seek support when they need it and look out for each other.

For Chikaura, whose work combines sports with mental health education, the campaign reflects the same belief that has guided his advocacy from the start: that young people themselves must be at the center of designing solutions.

The crisis is escalating

The need is urgent. According to World Health Organization (WHO)suicide is the third leading cause of death in the 15 to 29 year age group, with most deaths occurring in low and middle income countries.

Chikaura noted that Africa is home to the world’s youngest population, so investing in youth mental health is critical.

“There is a lot of work that needs to be done” he said. “Not only to raise awareness of mental health, but also to ensure that young people have the tools and resources they need to thrive and live meaningful lives.”

Her academic research also focuses on one of the least understood aspects of mental health: suicide prevention among autistic people.

He said autistic individuals face a much higher risk of suicide than non-autistic people, but specific support remains limited.

Giving a voice to the younger generation

As one of the UN’s Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals, Chikaura hopes to bring the experiences of young people in Zimbabwe to international decision makers while advocating for greater investment in mental health.

He warned that mental health still receives less than two percent of the national health budget despite the magnitude of the need.

“Youth mental health has been neglected for too long,” he said. “That can’t continue.”

The goal, he added, is to ensure that every community has access to culturally relevant mental health support so that no young person is held back from achieving their potential because of mental health challenges.

“I hope the younger generation can live and thrive and become the best versions of themselves.”