We build from solid, African foundations — landscapes that matter, resilient communities.
-
Nzila is a Tonga word meaning the path/way. La is simply a Bantu suffix meaning towards. Nzilala means towards the path. The name Nzilala emerged intentionally and after some exploration of Bantu linguistics.
We chose Nzilala as much for the meaning as for its connection with the Tonga people. We wanted to honour an ethnic minority who have deep ties to the Zambezi River and have historically been stewards of the environment despite their displacement when Kariba was constructed. We thought it fitting to honour that connection and their resilience in naming our initiative.
-
We work from a deep ecology perspective, recognising that all living beings have intrinsic value and that human and ecological health are interdependent.
Nzilala is built on the conviction that systemic change is possible; indeed, fundamental — we look beyond symptoms and address the structural and relational roots of the environmental and mental health crises.
And we seek to understand, holding curiosity and humility at the centre of our work, listening before acting, embracing learning along the way.
-
We envision a world where humanity and earth walk the path of healing together.
-
Nzilala is a Zimbabwean initiative working at the intersection of mental health and environmental healing. We take a systemic, deep ecological approach to supporting individuals, strengthening communities, and restoring our relationship with the living world. Ours is a model of integrated wellbeing for all our stakeholders including earth.
Meet the Team
Founder
I grew up in Zimbabwe, where I developed a deep love and respect for the African bush and the communities shaped by it. I came and went for some time during early adulthood but Zimbabwe always remained the home I knew, loved, and felt I belonged. I have travelled fairly widely — the Zambezi River, where my Grandfather's ashes are spread, and where I was lucky to spend a lot of time during my childhood years, remains my favourite place on earth.
In my early 30s, I came to a realisation that I wasn't doing enough for humanity or the earth and so returned to study, this time a Master of Arts in Environment, Development, and Peace at the University for Peace in Costa Rica. This experience was to considerably shape my beliefs and direction going forward.
On a personal level, I have lived through mental health challenges, navigating systems that were never designed to heal holistically, delayed diagnoses, and difficult times. I have faced the stigma in our communities and families. It has been a long journey but a worthwhile one and has had a profound impact on me and the way I now think.
Nzilala is, essentially, the convergence of those two paths: the personal and the intellectual, the lived and the studied. It is my hope that others can breathe easier because of the path that I have walked.
Research and Coordination Associate
I grew up in Zaka district, Masvingo, in a rural household where the rhythm of life was shaped by the seasons, the rains, and the land we tended. My earliest memories are of walking barefoot on red soil, of the smell of wood smoke at dusk, of my grandmother telling stories under a muhacha tree. That land was not just where we lived; it was who we were. I learned early that when the land suffered, we suffered with it.
That connection has stayed with me through every stage of my life. It shaped the questions I ask and the work I choose to do.
I trained as an economist and public health specialist, drawn to understanding what is broken in systems and what might be repaired. Through years of work with the Ministry of Health and community-based organisations, I have seen people discharged from mental health facilities with no follow-up, no care plan, no one to walk with them. I have seen the system do its best and then stop, leaving people to find their own way back.
Nzilala is different. It is a recognition that recovery requires more than medicine — it requires purpose, dignity, community, and connection to the land. For me, this is the convergence of everything I have been working toward. I grew up in Zaka, where the land taught me that we are not separate from the world we inhabit. Nzilala is where those paths meet. It is a privilege to walk this road alongside Nikki and all those who will make this work possible.
Our Approach
Integrated by Design
Mental health and environmental health treated as inseparable. Our two programmes reflect this: a Mental Health Assessment and Healing Centre providing holistic care pathways, and an Environmental Recovery Programme combining recovery with paid environmental restoration work.
Partnership Led
We build on Zimbabwe's strong existing organisations doing credible work rather than replicating it. Our value lies in connecting, convening, and amplifying.
Community Centred
People with lived experience of mental health conditions are at the heart of programme design and delivery. Programmes are free at the point of delivery, with a voluntary give back and pay it forward mechanism built in.
