ATLANTA — The Carter Center has awarded two journalists a new fellowship as part of the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism. This new fellowship, a shared initiative of the Carter Center Human Rights and Mental Health programs, supports journalists’ efforts to explore the impacts of climate change on mental health in countries with low socioeconomic status. The fellowship is made possible through the SNF Global Center Communicators program at the Child Mind Institute.

The selection process was very competitive. Initially, the new fellowship opportunity was available for one journalist. However, due to the high volume and quality of applicants, The Carter Center determined that two journalists would be added to the 2024-25 fellowship cohort. One will be funded through the SNF Global Center Communicator program, and the second through The Carter Center. More than 250 candidates took part in the application process, which opened in June.

The 2024-2025 Climate Change and Mental Health Fellows are:

Avit Ndayiziga
Community Voice, Burundi
X: @ANdayiziga
Topic: Relentless heavy rainfall in Burundi has raised Lake Tanganyika’s water level, causing floods, river overflow, and landslides. This ongoing disaster has left 29 dead, 175 injured, and about 42,000 displaced. At Matyazo camp, internally displaced people are housed in tents, exposing them to harsh impacts of climate change, including extreme cold and scorching heat, affecting their mental health with conditions such as depression, isolation, and anxiousness about the future after losing their possessions.

Avit Ndayiziga is the editor in chief at Community Voice, a community-based media outlet in Burundi that investigates and publishes underreported stories shedding light on various issues such as climate change, health, corruption, human rights, and other community-interest topics. Ndayiziga 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. Ndayiziga has also worked with InfoNile, a regional media outlet, producing water-related stories that compelled the authorities to make major decisions on groundwater protection. Ndayiziga has received training through Oxford Climate Journalism Network and the RNTC Media Training Centre in Haarlem, Netherlands.

Hellen Kabahukya
Solutions Now Africa, Uganda
X: @tecyhellen
Topic: Northern Uganda is facing increasingly frequent and severe heat waves due to climate change, with temperatures reaching up to 40°C (104°F). The impact of heat waves is especially challenging for farmers, mostly women who are charged with the responsibility of growing food for their families. This same region is just recovering from a 20-year civil war that left many with PTSD and dependence on alcohol and drugs.

Hellen Kabahukya is a reporter with Solutions Now Africa in Uganda’s capital, Kampala. She writes about women’s issues, minority rights, mental health, and climate change. Prior to working for Solutions Now Africa, Kabahukya was a communications officer at Mental and Reproductive Health Uganda. Later, she worked at Health Lifestyle Options as project and programs developer for a substance use organization. Kabahukya has a certificate in multimedia journalism and storytelling with the Media Challenge Initiative and a certificate in digital storytelling with Ultimate Media Consult. She also holds a certificate in narrative change with Global Press Institute.

Ndayiziga, Kabahukya, and three other international journalists from the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Ireland will join nine U.S. fellows for the annual meeting of fellows in September at The Carter Center. Fellows receive stipends, training, and mentoring throughout the fellowship year to assist them while they conduct research and interviews for use in a project related to their chosen topic.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Global Center Communicators of the Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellowship was established to close the communication gaps that impede understanding and addressing the needs of children and families living with mental health and learning disorders around the world, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

The SNF Global Center Communicators Fellowship Program is part of the SNF Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the Child Mind Institute, established in 2022 with founding support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) as part of the Global Health Initiative (GHI).

“We are thrilled to partner with The Carter Center on this fellowship program and support journalists reporting on child and adolescent mental health issues by equipping them with the knowledge they need to impact their communities and the lives of children and families globally,” said Samantha White, managing director of the SNF Global Center at the Child Mind Institute.

The Carter Center’s peace programs, inspired by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter, work independently and with local partners to prevent conflicts, mediate disputes, and advance democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. The Human Rights Program aims to create the circumstances for people to realize their human rights, for those in power to uphold those rights, and for stakeholders to collectively prioritize, protect, and promote human rights. The program focuses on advancing protected groups’ rights, applying a comprehensive human rights framework to U.S. policies, promoting climate and environmental justice, and offering expertise on critical human rights issues.

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Contact: media@cartercenter.org

The Carter Center
Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope.

A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.