The Friendship Bench provides sustainable community based psychological interventions that are evidence based, accessible and scalable.

 OUR MISSION: Creating Safe Spaces and a Sense of Belonging in Communities to Enhance Quality of Life

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OUR VISION: A Friendship Bench Within Walking Distance For All

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OUR VALUES: Empathy & Connection; Anchored in Research

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Why we focus on belonging.

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When we feel we belong, we can relax, because we know we are not alone in fighting for our survival, we are connected. And as we are part of others, others are part of us. 

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To ensure belonging we must talk with each other, we must create safe spaces where people can open up without fear of judgement. This simple act of expressing ones deep and dark struggles in an empathic and therapeutic environment enables healing and transformation to begin.

To feel a sense of belonging is essential for survival

We are not Conventional. 

our therapy rooms are outdoors under trees and our therapists are elderly Zimbabwean women. These women are city lay health workers who have become known as Community grandmothers.

MORE ABOUT US

ABOUT THE FRIENDSHIP BENCH...

ABOUT LAY HEALTH WORKERS...

Dixon Chibanda: Zimbabwe Training Grandmothers to Treat Depression at Davos World Economic Forum

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Dixon Chibanda – one of 12 psychiatrists in Zimbabwe with a population of more than 16 million and founder of the Friendship Bench programme – he trained elderly Zimbabwean women to deliver evidence-based talk therapy on benches under trees to bring care and hope to those in need.

25 January 2019

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