A Zimbabwean educator is creating a significant impact abroad after being selected as one of the main speakers at the World Congress on Education, scheduled for this August in the United States of America.
Antonette Mutirori, who is involved with a prominent child-centred mental wellness initiative called Heal Them Young: Catch Them Young, feels privileged to showcase this model at the congress.
Proudly Zimbabwean
“I am proud to contribute to community transformation. My aspiration is to extend this initiative to Zimbabwe, where I believe it can yield similar transformative results for children and youth. Ultimately, home is where the heart lies.
“Additionally, my mental wellness platform, To North and To Heal, is launching free services for people back home, offering counselling, coaching, and therapeutic services to individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“This programme will focus on students, young women, and vulnerable populations who often lack access to such resources.
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“The initiative is entirely community-driven and operates on a first-come, first-served basis.
“As an educator, a key part of my mission is to dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health and promote help-seeking behaviours.
To North and To Heal aims to alleviate depression, trauma, suicidal thoughts, and emotional isolation by fostering open discussions and providing accessible care.
“I believe that healthy individuals contribute to a healthy society, and this project is one way I am working towards that vision, both locally and globally.”
Mutirori has taken further steps by incorporating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into her initiatives, particularly focusing on climate action, responsible consumption, and conservation of life on land.
“We engaged in open dialogues about our roles in environmental protection and how every action, no matter how small, can create an impact.
“Gradually, I witnessed change. Students began encouraging each other to recycle and took pride in maintaining tidy classrooms.
“The discussions around waste evolved from reluctance to awareness.”
She also participated in the World Bank Group Youth Summit in Washington, DC, last May.
“I currently hold the position of Chief Examining Officer for Africa at the International Teachers Association.
“I have also had the honour of judging global competitions such as Technovation, where I was recognised in 2025 among the Top 20 Judges in North America and globally.
“These opportunities have largely emerged from my work as an educator here in the U.S.”
As a teacher and advocate for children’s mental health based in Springfield, Virginia, Mutirori believes that children are never too young to learn about responsibility.
“In fact, values are most powerfully instilled at this early stage.
“When we ‘catch them young’, we enable them to understand that being responsible citizens isn’t about who created the mess, but rather who is prepared to resolve it.
“In a world facing climate change, pollution, and resource scarcity, nurturing environmentally conscious children is not optional; it is vital.
It begins with simple lessons like picking up litter, sorting waste, and caring for our communal spaces. The future belongs to our children, but we shape that future through the lessons we impart today.”
She is the founder of “To North and To Heal”, a platform dedicated to promoting emotional well-being and holistic growth in children and families.
Her work extends to her homeland of Zimbabwe, where she was born and raised, and her projects span between the U.S. and her community back home.
