The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Global Center in Partnership with Radio Workshop Announces Next Generation of African Media Leaders Through Innovative Communicator Fellowship

The first Cohort of Fellows from South Africa are set to produce original podcast episodes to promote child and adolescent mental health, address stigma and drive evidence-based solutions through bold storytelling

New York, NY, USA and Johannesburg, South Africa — The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the Child Mind Institute is proud to announce the first cohort of Communicator Fellows from South Africa, delivered in partnership with Radio Workshop, a leading youth media organization that trains young people across Africa in radio and podcast production, with up to nine million monthly listeners. This inaugural Radio Workshop cohort builds on the program’s early success, following an initial fellowship awarded in partnership with the Carter Center.

The fellowship is part of a broader initiative of the SNF Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health to support emerging communicators in underserved communities who are using media to fill a critical gap in promoting mental health, reduce stigma, and drive evidence-informed dialogue.

During their collaboration, SNF Global Center Communicator Fellows will produce a series of podcast episodes on child and adolescent mental health in South Africa. Over their two-year fellowship, senior fellows Mary-Ann Nobele and Naomi Grewan will mentor four junior fellows, this year they will mentor Curtis Mkhize and Sikelela Rollom. Through personal storytelling, on-the-ground reporting, and youth-centered perspectives, the fellows will lead the charge in transforming mental health conversations, combating misconceptions, and bringing critical attention to challenges facing young people today.

“Today’s mental health landscape requires bold new voices that move away from traditional narratives by blending unique insight and cultural understanding to drive real impact. That’s why we are excited to partner with Radio Workshop in supporting the first cohort of Communicator Fellows who have demonstrated how they can create powerful new narratives through professional skills and lived experiences,” said Peter Raucci, Director of the SNF Global Center Fellowships Program.

For 18 years, Radio Workshop has trained young people across Africa to use radio and podcasts to tackle the issues that matter to them. One topic that often comes up is mental health because it’s key to their well-being and their ability to help their communities.

“We are grateful for the partnership because it offers us an opportunity to help raise awareness, improve access to care, and be a part of the amplification of youth voices in the mental health conversation,” said Vuyo Lutseke, executive director of Radio Workshop.

Drawing from their exceptional experience and knowledge, the fellows share a connected determination to dismantling barriers towards quality mental health care for young people through compelling stories.

Curtis Mkhize, based in Durban, was first introduced to Radio Workshop in 2019 as a youth reporter at Vibe FM. His early experiences sparked a deep commitment to community work and youth empowerment. Today, Curtis uses storytelling to foster connection, raise awareness around mental health, and inspire collective action.

“Serving as a fellow is an exciting opportunity to grow as a leader and contribute to positive change,” said Mkhize.

With a similar passion for being a vocal advocate in her community, Sikelela Rollom began her journey in radio at Nkqubela FM, where she hosted youth programs exploring mental health, sexual and reproductive health, and climate change. She now works as a news reporter, radio presenter, and executive news producer at Nelson Mandela University’s Madibaz Radio, and has contributed to public health campaigns with Vuselela Media and UNICEF.

“I’m passionate about storytelling that makes a difference in my community,” she said. “This fellowship is a chance to build on that work.”

Mary-Ann Nobele is a radio journalist, youth advocate, and creative storyteller whose work has focused on education, mental health, and amplifying youth voices. With a background in podcasting and award-winning projects, Mary-Ann is passionate about using the fellowship opportunity to continue to drive meaningful conversations that resonate with young audiences through media.

Naomi Grewan is an audio documentary producer based in Johannesburg who has reported on social justice issues including lead exposure in Zambia and LGBTQI+ rights across Africa. A graduate of Rhodes University’s journalism program, Naomi brings a deep belief in storytelling for social change and a commitment to uplifting underrepresented voices.

Fellows receive an unparalleled opportunity for mentorship, production support, capacity-building and funding to develop content that centers the mental health needs and experiences of youth in their communities and promotes sustainable change. Fellows will create original podcast episodes exploring child and adolescent mental health, to be broadcast on local South African radio stations and shared via Radio Workshop’s website and streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Stitcher.

Together, the SNF Global Center and Radio Workshop are cultivating the next generation of South African media leaders—empowering them to tell bold, honest, and impactful stories that advance child and adolescent mental health.

To learn more about the Communicator Fellowships and the SNF Global Center, visit childmind.org/global.

To listen to episodes of the Radio Workshop podcast, visit radioworkshop.org.

This work is conducted by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Global Center at the Child Mind Institute with founding support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) as part of its Global Health Initiative (GHI).

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.

About Radio Workshop

Founded in 2006 as the Children’s Radio Foundation, Radio Workshop has trained over 5,000 youth reporters at more than 100 radio stations in 10 African countries, reaching up to 9 million listeners weekly. Through training programs and an acclaimed podcast series, Radio Workshop equips young people with the tools and skills to produce creative, community-rooted, and fact-based audio journalism.

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