OWN CORRESPONDENT
MASVINGO-A groundbreaking partnership between the Great Zimbabwe University and Masvingo Root of Development Organization (MaRODO) is set to transform mental health support systems for youth in Masvingo Province amid growing concerns of drug and substance abuse, depression and suicide cases.
The two institutions on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see them jointly implementing the Helping Everyone Achieve Robust Thoughts and Souls (HEARTS) initiative — a youth-centred programme designed to promote psychosocial wellbeing, mental health education, research and community resilience.
The agreement was officially signed by the GZU Registrar Dr Sinikiwe Gwatidzo and Acknowledge Mawere on behalf of MaRODO.
The partnership comes at a critical time when communities across Zimbabwe are grappling with increasing cases of mental health disorders, emotional distress, substance abuse and suicide, particularly among young people in tertiary institutions and urban communities.
Through the initiative, GZU will provide academic expertise, research support, student engagement and training for peer educators, while MaRODO will spearhead grassroots community outreach programmes, counselling initiatives, youth empowerment hubs and digital awareness campaigns targeting schools, universities and communities across Masvingo Province.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, GZU Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Business Development and Industrialisation, Professor Marian Tukuta, described the partnership as a practical intervention that must deliver tangible impact beyond paperwork and ceremonial commitments.
She applauded the Julius Nyerere School of Social Sciences for championing collaborations with community-based organisations working directly with vulnerable young people and communities.
For MaRODO, founder and executive director Mawere, the agreement marks a major milestone in the organisation’s mission to build mentally healthy and resilient communities.
“Everything begins with the mind. Mental health is foundational to human wellbeing, productivity, peace and development,” said Mawere.
“We are building a generation where asking for help is accepted, where speaking out is normalised and where emotional vulnerability is not viewed as weakness. Together, through partnerships such as this one, we envision a Masvingo Province with zero suicide cases.”
Founded in 2021 during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, MaRODO emerged from lived experiences of young people who had personally battled mental health challenges and wanted to create safe spaces for others facing similar struggles.
What began as online mental health discussions through WhatsApp platforms during lockdowns has since evolved into a growing psychosocial support movement that has directly assisted more than 1 500 young people through volunteer peer psychosocial supporters.
The HEARTS initiative is expected to strengthen community-based psychosocial support systems while aligning with Zimbabwe’s Education 5.0 philosophy, Vision 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals focusing on health, education, gender equality and partnerships.
Mawere warned that drug and substance abuse had become one of the biggest threats facing young people in Zimbabwe, noting that many communities in Masvingo Province were witnessing alarming increases in suicide cases, emotional breakdowns and social instability linked to untreated mental health conditions.
“Many times we have used our own resources to support vulnerable young people, provide online counselling and sustain community interventions because the need is urgent and real,” he said.
“Despite limited resources, we have continued producing measurable impact. This demonstrates that MaRODO is not merely youth-led, but results-driven and impact-driven.”
He then made an impassioned appeal to development partners, corporates, researchers, NGOs and well-wishers to invest in the initiative.
“We call upon development partners, sponsors, corporate institutions, policymakers and philanthropists to come on board and support this vision. Investing in mental health is not an expense, it is an investment in peace, productivity, human capital and national development,” said Mawere.
Under the agreement, the two institutions will jointly organise leadership seminars, mentorship programmes, workshops and awareness campaigns aimed at strengthening youth wellbeing and building safer, healthier and more resilient communities across Masvingo Province, including rural areas.
