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Zeinab Hijazi Highlight


Zeinab Hijazi

Zeinab Hijazi

Global Mental Health Lead

UNICEF

Without mental health, we're not able to grow, to learn, to love, to create meaningful relationships.

About Zeinab

  • I grew up between the U.S. and Lebanon, navigating a new language and the realities of war at a young age.
  • As a teenager, I struggled with depression, making mental health deeply personal rather than abstract.
  • At 21, during the war in Lebanon, I began volunteering to support children and families impacted by conflict.
  • A mentor saw something in me and said, “You get it,” shifting my path from architecture to psychology.
  • I fully committed to this calling, pursuing advanced degrees and training to build credibility in mental health care.
  • I spent over a decade working on the ground across the Middle East and beyond, supporting communities in crisis.
  • I set my sights on UNICEF as my North Star, gaining experience through years of fieldwork and consultancies.
  • Today, I lead global mental health efforts at UNICEF, still learning, growing, and working to uplift the next generation.