The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the Child Mind Institute Announces Inaugural Communicator Fellow in Partnership With the Carter Center

Communicator Fellowship Program sheds light on underreported stories on child and adolescent mental health in low- and middle-income countries

New York, NY —  The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the Child Mind Institute named journalist Avit Ndayiziga of Bujumbura, Burundi, as the inaugural 2024 Communicator Fellow in partnership with the Carter Center.

Mr. Ndayiziga will take part in the Carter Center’s Climate Change Mental Health Fellowship thanks to the support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) as part of its Global Health Initiative (GHI). The fellowship is an initiative of the Carter Center Human Rights and Mental Health programs and aims to support journalists’ efforts to explore the impacts of climate change on mental health in countries with low socioeconomic status. During the innovative two-year fellowship, Mr. Ndayiziga joined three other international journalists from Uganda, the United Arab Emirates, and the Republic of Ireland and nine U.S. fellows for the annual meeting of Carter Center Mental Health Journalism Fellows this week Fellows receive stipends, training, and mentoring to assist them while they conduct research and interviews for use in a project related to their chosen topic. As an SNF Global Communicator Fellow, Mr. Ndayiziga will also travel to the Child Mind Institute in New York City to receive training and mentoring in reporting on child and adolescent mental health.

“We are delighted to announce Mr. Avit Ndayiziga as our inaugural SNF Global Center Communicator Fellow. His work in effectively communicating the intersection of climate change and child and adolescent mental health is crucial, and we are excited to support him through this fellowship to further his efforts,” said Peter Raucci, the program director of global fellowships at the SNF Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the Child Mind Institute.

Mr. Ndayiziga is the editor in chief of Community Voice, a French- and English-language community-based media outlet in Burundi that investigates and publishes stories on underreported topics, shedding light on issues such as climate change, health, corruption, and human rights. He has previously reported on climate change and health-related topics through the Excellence in Health Journalism Fellowship from Internews Health Journalism Network and Aga Khan University.

“Mental health is an underreported and often taboo issue in Burundi,” said Mr. Ndayiziga about his proposed project, which was selected from a pool of 250 applicants. “My reporting project aims to raise awareness and urge prompt actions to safeguard future generations. By reporting on this matter, I want to achieve a clear guide on dealing with the mental health impacts of climate change for young people.”

Burundi is ranked 22nd in the list of countries most vulnerable to climate change by the World Bank. Ripple effects of trauma from a civil war that ended in 2005, endemic poverty, and internal displacement due to climate-related floods has increased the prevalence of mental health disorders in the country, particularly among its young — and 47% of the country’s population is under 18 years of age.

“Thanks to the SNF Global Center at the Child Mind Institute, we’re empowering talented journalists to shine a light on the real and threatening mental health effects of climate change. We’re eager to see these important stories told about the impact of climate change on mental health and solutions to address it,” said Eve Byrd, director of the mental health program at the Carter Center.

The SNF Global Center Communicators Fellowship is part of one of the six core initiatives of the SNF Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the Child Mind Institute, which harnesses the Child Mind Institute’s commitment to transforming the lives of children struggling with mental health and learning disorders.

About the SNF Global Center at the Child Mind Institute

The SNF Global Center brings together the Child Mind Institute’s expertise as a leading independent nonprofit in children’s mental health and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation’s (SNF) deep commitment to supporting collaborative projects to improve access to quality health care worldwide. The center is building partnerships to drive advances in under-researched areas of children’s and adolescents’ mental health and expand access to culturally appropriate trainings, resources, and treatment in low- and middle-income countries. This work is conducted by the Child Mind Institute with support from SNF through its Global Health Initiative (GHI).

About the Child Mind Institute

We are the leading independent nonprofit in children’s mental health providing gold-standard, evidence-based care, delivering educational resources to millions of families each year, training educators in underserved communities, and developing open science initiatives and tomorrow’s breakthrough treatments.

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