Award-winning journalist and filmmaker Hopewell Chin’ono is giving away R100 000 to Zimbabwean mental health patients who cannot afford medication.
On Tuesday night, Chin’ono posted on his social media pages that he received a gift of R50,000 from his personal doctor, Nyasha Maboreke, in Johannesburg, South Africa. He then chose to donate the money to a worthy cause. He said:
Tonight, I had dinner with my personal doctor, Nyasha Maboreke, in Johannesburg.
A prominent Zimbabwean gave me R50,000 to appreciate my contributions towards Zimbabwe’s journey to democracy. “Imari yedrink mudhara,” he said.
I want to use this money to buy mental health drugs for Zimbabweans who can’t afford them.
If you have a relative who needs mental health drugs but can’t afford them, let me know!
After Chin’ono’s post, his pages were flooded with messages of support from Zimbabweans, prompting Dr. Maboreke to double his offer to R100,000 Said Chin’ono:
My doctor, Nyasha Maboreke, has been deeply moved by your comments. He said he is going to match the amount, so we now have R100,000 in the pot for this mental health drug initiative.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) mental health in Zimbabwe faces significant challenges.
WHO said the issue is underreported, lacks reliable data, and remains stigmatized. Issues such as depression, anxiety, and suicide continue to be misunderstood and associated with negative connotations.
