Charmaine Nyakonda

Charmaine Nyakonda, based in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, is Grassroot Soccer’s (GRS) Mental Health Specialist. She supports the expansion of GRS’s adolescent mental health focus area. Charmaine, a neuroscientist, mental health activist, and educator, specializes in youth programming, community-based HIV prevention research, and combating mental health stigma. She holds an MSc (Med) in Paediatrics Neuroimaging from the Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cape Town, holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Stem Cell and Translational Neurology from the University of Edinburgh , and holds an Honours BSc in Neuroscience and Health Studies from the University of Toronto. Charmaine also holds certifications in Safe Talk-Suicide Prevention and children and youth safeguarding.