top of page
Please note we no longer update albums. To keep up and get our super visuals come and follow us on social media! 
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

2020 PHOTO GALLERY
ARCHIVES

New Youth Bench Attachment Students

20-29 JULY 2020

Every year the Friendship Bench takes on a group of students who are required to do an industrial attachment before returning to their respective universities for final year of studies.

The students take the lead in the Youth Friendship Bench programme. They get trained in the Friendship Bench approach with added youth focused modules. Once the 8 days training is complete they are ready to deliver the PST intervention as peer counsellors in the community. 

Obviously this year we will be doing it a bit differently, we've taken the Youth Buddies online! Covid-19 has been an encouraging force to take this step and so far online talk therapy has been embrace in the Youth demographic. We look forward to seeing how the latest students work on community mobilisation as they create awareness of positive mental health and the virtual Youth Friendship Bench.

111743215_802446253660093_50416625245377
110317068_802448946993157_39306062749973
115706024_805209913383727_74460862906350
115805460_806167806621271_35305816963607
116359504_806154293289289_59776518948536
113020300_801449240426461_83163509638849
IMG-20200721-WA0005
IMG-20200721-WA0009
IMG-20200721-WA0011
IMG-20200721-WA0012
IMG-20200721-WA0013
IMG-20200721-WA0016
IMG-20200721-WA0015
IMG-20200721-WA0017
IMG-20200722-WA0002(3)
IMG-20200722-WA0012
WhatsApp Image 2020-07-23 at 12.17.28
IMG-20200722-WA0005
WhatsApp Image 2020-07-23 at 10.04.22

Chitungwiza Stakeholders Gathering For Scale-Up

13 JULY 2020

When we go into a town or village, urban or rural area. it is vital that we meet with Stakeholders before hand. Relationship building and learning to understand what the situation is on the ground is a key element to the success of the Friendship Bench, no two places will ever be the same, we need to listen to the stories from all levels of the community. 

In Chitungwiza we met with the office directors, District Health Promotion Officers, the Matron in charge, the Sisters in charge, the Lay Health WOrkers as well as Friendship Bench beneficiaries. This was a very attentive group of 14 people, eager to motivate their low performing clinics to reach and deliver mental health care to more people in their community. 

IMG-20200710-WA0026
IMG-20200710-WA0004
IMG-20200710-WA0006
IMG-20200710-WA0034
IMG-20200710-WA0017
IMG-20200710-WA0008
IMG-20200710-WA0009
IMG-20200710-WA0015
IMG-20200710-WA0014
IMG-20200710-WA0024

Gweru Grandmothers; first face to face training since Covid-19 lockdown!

JUNE 2020 (GWERU)

A group of FB trainers, coordinators and assistants travelled to Gweru to teach 28 Grandmothers about the Friendship Bench Intervention as part of our national scale-up plan. 

We were greeted by blue skies, green grass and eager to learn Lay Health Workers! 

The Problem Solving Therapy was well received, the Grandmothers are full of energy and ready to start mobilising in their community. Role plays went well and we have great confidence in their ability to connect and communicate empathy to clients who seek their support. 

Gweru Group LHW
Gweru 11
Gweru 10
Gweru 2
Gweru 9
Gweru 8
Gweru 7
Gweru 5
Gweru 6
Gweru 3
Gweru 1

Online Training with the Friendship Bench Grandmothers

JUNE 2020 

Lockdown continues, covid-19 anxiety is high, starvation is consuming the nation, unemployment is widespread, reports of domestic violence stream in and substance misuse is rife. Training our Grandmothers in the online delivery of Problem Solving Therapy has been a high priority of ours in the face of all these problems

Over 5 days we used Whatsapp to teach our Grandmothers how to make the shift from sitting on the bench to being able to use Whatsapp to effectively help their communities. We are so grateful for the open minded Grandmothers who have taken to the online delivery like ducks to water! 

LHW Whatsapp Training
LHW-TRAINING..
LHW-TRAINING
LHW-TRAINING....
LHW-TRAINING...
LHW-TRAINING. Gogos
LHW-TRAINING.-Gogo
LHW-training,-Grandmothers

Circle Kubatana Tose 

Gardens

JUNE 2020 

One thing that COVID19 hasn’t stopped is the Grandmother and clients Circle Kubatana Tose gardens!

 

Started just before Zimbabwe’s Lockdown they are doing amazing. This new leaf (no pun intended) is our latest behavioural activation & income generation component to the Friendship Bench intervention.

 

#permaculture

CKT gardens
WhatsApp Image 2020-06-19 at 12.15.18
WhatsApp Image 2020-06-19 at 12.15.23
EayvoEtXkAAG8e4
WhatsApp Image 2020-06-19 at 12.15.17

Lockdown Lightened! Which meant we could take a trip to check in on the Grandmothers in Gweru & Chitungwiza

MAY 2020 (GWERU & CHI TOWN)

Past 2 weeks have been inspiring and enlightening. Being able to travel meant we could not only deliver masks to our Grandmothers but also start their online WhatsApp training so they can continue to 'see' clients and provide the much needed safe space to talk about their current problems. There are alot of people not knowing how to feed their families, hungry children and bored youths because schools are still shut. Everyone needs someone to talk to, an empathic ear who listens and cares.

FB mask distribution
FB mask distribution
FB mask distribution
FB mask distribution
FB mask distribution
FB mask distribution
FB mask distribution
FB mask distribution
FB mask distribution
FB mask distribution
FB mask distribution

Mask distribution and hand washing guides for Grandmothers during covid-19 pandemic.

APRIL-MAY 2020 (HARARE)

There is no escaping the pandemic, this past month has involved a lot of adaptation and improvisation. Lockdown in Zimbabwe has been a struggle, with no food stores, rise in domestic violence and continued closure of the informal sector we need mental health care now more than ever. 

Huge thank you to the Old Legs Cycle Tour for donation of masks for the FB Grandmothers, to African Threads for the miles of masks sewn and to The Rafiki Network for coordinating everything. 

masks.a41
masks.24.37
masks.24.41
masks.25.32
masks.24.42
masks.a40
masks15
masks17
masks29
masks32
masks36
masks37
masks.24.35
masks44
masks40
masksa34
masksa30
masksa33

CKT Gardens. 

Permaculture Training On the Edge of Lockdown. 

March 2020

Just before the Covid19 Zimbabwe Lockdown was announced we started training our next group of Grandmothers and some Friendship Bench beneficiaries in permaculture.

We had a successful trial at one of the clinics and so are working to carry this behavioural activation and income generation component of the intervention throughout all clinics. 

Watch this space for organic vegetables and drop in SSQ scores! 

ckt 3
ckt 2
ckt 6
ckt 1
ckt 4
ckt 5
ckt 7
ckt 9
ckt 8
ckt

Uni Friendship Bench Buddies taking part in the Colour Run

Bindura University

9 March 2020

Our University Friendship Bench Buddies spent their Saturday at Bindura University colour run.

 

We were invited there to talk about mental health & creating awareness about the free talk therapy FB offers on campus for all students needing a safe space to talk and find belonging.

We want students to know

YOUR FEELINGS ARE VALID and

MAKE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH YOUR PRIORITY

UniFB-25
UniFB-24
UniFB-23
UniFB-22
UniFB-21
UniFB-20
UniFB-19
UniFB-18
UniFB-17
UniFB-16
UniFB-15
UniFB-12
UniFB-13
UniFB-11
UniFB-14

Piloting a new CKT: Permaculture gardening

 

perma'nent+culture

= PERMACULTURE

20-28 February 2020

Imagine you could grow, pick, eat and sell produce that will nourish, sustain and support you & your family... We want to provide people with the knowledge needed to bring this to life.

 

With the help of a passionate farmer, gardener, sustainable liver Linda Gabriel (IG page link) we have started to train a group of clients and LHW in the principles of sustainable gardening.

 

We believe problems can be fixed in gardens. 

CKT gardens 7
CKT gardens 20
CKT gardens 17
CKT gardens 1
CKT gardens 19
CKT gardens 18
CKT gardens 16
CKT gardens 15
CKT gardens 13
CKT gardens 12
CKT gardens 11
CKT gardens 5
CKT gardens 10
CKT gardens 9
CKT gardens 8
CKT gardens 6
CKT gardens 4
CKT gardens 2
CKT gardens 3
CKT gardens 14

FBPlus - ASSET

Health System Strengthening

 

17-24 February 2020

FBplus, a collaborative research project between ASSET and ourselves had a busy month with all ASSET projects meeting for their annual meeting in Addis Ababa and then hosting a Theory of Change workshop here in Harare. 

Both produced some gems of information and best practices in going forward into the 2020 year.

find out more about ASSET and our research, funded by NIHR, in partnership with Kings Global Health KCL.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/assetKGHI

ASSET toc 1
ASSER16
ASSET toc3
ASSET toc4
ASSET toc2
ASSET15
ASSET14
ASSET13
ASSET12
ASSET11
ASSET10
ASSET9
ASSET8
ASSET5
ASSET6
ASSET7
ASSET4
ASSET2
ASSET3
ASSET1

Welcome DRK Nathalie & Katie to FB!

3-7 February 2020

The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation was founded on a belief in the power of innovation and the conviction that with bold support, passionate individuals with great ideas can change the world.

 

With this in mind we are extremely honoured that they have come to visit the Friendship Bench and met with the Grandmothers at Hatcliff Clinic. There is a lot in the pipe line, watch this space for high impact at scale. 

 

We're making new friends around the world who are earnest drivers of change for good and this is encouraging. 

Find out more about the

DRK foundation

DRK_hatfield_clinic-1
DRK_hatfield_clinic-5
DRK_hatfield_clinic-10
DRK_hatfield_clinic-6
DRK_hatfield_clinic-3
DRK_hatfield_clinic-2
DRK_hatfield_clinic-9
DRK_hatfield_clinic-8
DRK_hatfield_clinic-7
DRK_hatfield_clinic-4

Refresher Course 

Seke North & South

 

FEBRUARY 2020

One of the Friendship Bench values is 'continued learning'. So we have started to visit the Friendship Bench Clinics to carry out refresher courses with all community health workers and to share some findings of what the 2019 RE-AIM evaluation from team Optimise FB brought to light. 

It's great to see the Grandmothers still know their PST steps and they are open to new methods of data collection. It also great that they are sharing their experiences and suggestions of improvements to the system to get it as optimally working for quality mental health care as possible.

IMG-20200131-WA0021
IMG-20200131-WA0015
IMG-20200131-WA0010
IMG-20200131-WA0024
IMG-20200131-WA0022
IMG-20200131-WA0019
IMG-20200131-WA0016
IMG-20200131-WA0014
IMG-20200131-WA0012
IMG-20200131-WA0011
IMG-20200131-WA0008
IMG-20200131-WA0007
IMG-20200131-WA0006

Youth Friendship Bench Student Supervision.

Topic: SEX

 

9th JANUARY 2020

Dr. Ruth Verhey is back at it with the Youth Friendship Bench students. Supervision happens twice a month and is a time where the Dr engages the students in all that is taboo, stigmatised, discriminated against and in general would make for awkward conversation for many. Not on our watch, this is the generation of the future and the time for change is now.

For anyone wondering, the red object is a 3D printed clitoris! Find put more here

Follow the YouFB activities on Twitter

YouFB supervision
YouFB supervision d
YouFB
YouFB supervision b
YouFB supervision f
YouFB supervision c
YouFB supervision

Matapi Flats new years greetings.

 

3rd JANUARY 2020

New decade, same strong resilient women raising their families in Matapi Flats, Mbare. 

With the bit of rain we got in December the Friendship Bench garden was full of green vegetables and egg plants. A great way to start the year was visiting the women of Matapi Flats. 

 

Majority of them are widows, now too old to work, many look after their grandchildren while their children go out and work or for some they they are now the parents of their grandchildren having lost their own children.

Matapi-Jan-e
Matapi-Jan-d
Matapi-Jan-g
Matapi_Jan_b
Matapi-January-2020
Matapi-Jan-c
Matapi-Jan-f

Clinic visits start.

 

JANUARY 2020

Community building takes time, our plan for 2020 is to spend as much time as possible at clinics supporting the Grandmothers and ensuring they have the resources they need so they can deliver the best possible intervention.

 

The Grandmothers receive so much community respect because of the work they do, from being true to their beliefs and being non-judgemental to those around them. We don't believe this is rocket science, we believe this can be achieve in all communities with the right ingredients. 

They truly are our core.

Clinic Visits January
Clinic Visits January
Clinic Visits January
Clinic Visits January
Clinic Visits January
Clinic Visits January
Clinic Visits January
Clinic Visits January
Clinic Visits January
Clinic Visits January
FB logo - small.png

2019 PHOTO GALLERY

 

ARCHIVE

GACD, OptFB Stakeholder Meeting

 

17-19 OCTOBER 2019

Stakeholders meeting before going forward with the Qualitative component of the Optimise Friendship Bench project, working with The Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases.

 

Thank you everyone for a great workshop! Dr. Verhey, Dr. Chibanda, Dr. Healey, Dr. Wagenaar, Dr Araya, Grandmothers, Grandfather, FB team, Nurses, Clients, Ministry reps & lunch time Chefs! Onwards into the qualitative phase!

GACD WEBSITE​

GACDTq_lYWkAImh50
GACDTrBRnWkAEvlJ2
GACDOfwfWWsAUCS5o
GACDOfvPEW4AE2vPg
GACDOfuOOW4AAWy_q
GACDObzi_WkAEd2bc
GACDGGOLuX0AEp9o1
GACDFup--WkAkU-ah
GACDFKTLLXUAAJ446
GACDFKTLNX0AAYjRY
GACDFNP3tW4AAk_UU
GACDFhR1gXUAI_sNf
GACDFGr65W4AGACDLb0
GACDFgz0PWkAMMGL2
GACDFgydvXYAETL7A
GACDE1eCKXYAEydkT

Facilitating training at Bindura University; to get accessible and affordable mental health care on campus

 

OCTOBER, 2019

There’s so much to be enjoyed at uni, but for some people, it can be a time of loneliness, exam anxiety, of being weighed down by worries about relationships & finances.

 

We are so excited that approval has come through from Bindura University of Science Education and the Social Work faculty is on board and eager to get mental health care onto their campus. 

We did weekend trainings with the BUSE students and could not have asked for a better group of enthusiastic students.

This is our trial University, we are looking to 2020 to go into more.

bindura 11
bindura 10
bindura 9
bindura 7
bindura 6
bindura 5
bindura 4
bindura 3
bindura 1
bindura 2

CeSHHAR Theory of Change Workshop

 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2019

The Centre for Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Research Zimbabwe (CeSHHAR) houses a number of HIV prevention and sexual health research and programmatic projects. 

Over the years we have met CeSHHAR employees who then contacted us to see about setting up a Friendship Bench that has a key focus on sex workers in Zimbabwe. 

We had an amazing Theory of Change Workshop where all key stakeholders were present, including a group of sex workers and the Grandmothers. 

"We would never want to take away the option of sex work but we want to create spaces for mental health support .We want people to practice safely & have a place to go to share their feelings where there is deep understanding and no judgement. #TheoryOfChange"

CeSHHAR WEBSITE

IMG_20190919_121413_156
IMG-20190919-WA0018
IMG_dk2wnz
IMG_20190919_193628_822
CeSHHAR6
CeSHHAR7
IMG_-s0w21h
CeSHHAR5
CeSHHAR1
CeSHHAR4
CeSHHAR2
CeSHHAR3

Friendship Bench Open House training in PST

 

SEPTEMBER 9-13, 2019

Many organisations are requesting the Friendship Bench, we have started with trainings for those organisations we are already working close with on projects or who we have been in contact with in other areas of research activities over the past few years. This was a great training to see how people who do not necessarily work in a mental health care or even social work industry take to the approach. We see more and more that diversity brings wisdom, fresh perspectives and helps open peoples minds to the importance of respecting individuality.

IMG-20190910-WA0027
IMG-20190910-WA0018
IMG-20190911-WA0010
IMG-20190910-WA0038
IMG-20190910-WA0037
IMG-20190910-WA0029
IMG-20190910-WA0028
20190909_150008
IMG-20190909-WA0020
20190909_145935
IMG-20190909-WA0009
IMG-20190909-WA0010

Inhouse Qualitative Training

 

SEPTEMBER 10, 2019

 

PROJECTS ARE MOVING INTO QUALITATIVE PHASES AND SO IT WAS TIME TO BRING IN THE PROFESSIONALS FOR SOME TRAINING!

Friendship Bench held an inhouse training on Qualitative Research, facilitated by Dr Webster Mavhu a qualitative specialist. The training was to introduce the OptFB, FBPlus and YouFB project teams to the concept of qualitative research as they prepare for the qualitative components of their studies. MUCH WAS LEARNT.

IMG-20190923-WA0033
Qualitative-training-FB-c
thumbnail_IMG_1037
IMG-20190923-WA0038
IMG-20190923-WA0029
IMG-20190923-WA0035
IMG-20190923-WA0037

ICOPE DEP meeting

 

MAY 15-17, 2019

 

ICOPE LINK TO WEBSITE

Friendship Bench hosted the project development meeting for ICOPE-DEP (Integrated Care for Older People),

addressing low mood and other unmet health needs of older adults in Ethiopia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

 

Delegates from various institutions and from across the globe met at the Friendship Bench house to discuss collaboration on the ICOPE-DEP project.

ICOPE-4
ICOPE-5
ICOPE-7
ICOPE-c
ICOPE-8
ICOPE-6
ICOPE_meeting-b
ICOPE_meeting

Evangelische Frauenhilfe Church from Westfalen Germany. 

MAY 7, 2019

 

25 women from the Evangelische Frauenhilfe church in Westfalen Germany emailed us earlier in the year, they were going to be on a world prayer tour and wanted meet some Friendship Bench beneficiaries while they were in Harare. 

 

We organised for 9 Friendship Bench clients to come and share their experience of mental health recovery, the tools and skills they leart and how they maintain their mental wellness by participating in Circle Kubatana Tose groups. It was an afternoon of women seeing women. There were variations in culture, language, race, religion, mental health and age but shared care, compassion and much laughter. Beneficiaries were also able to sell their crocheted bags and amaze the visitors that VHS tapes were now being used as crochet ribbon.

59305852_2290738884480688_67834347284112
57244646_2290738917814018_38447372345488
59829297_2290738837814026_27516956314068
59761299_2292397407648169_68226898490283
59614540_2291006694453907_53145863602023
59317960_2290746591146584_24816935732007
59389851_2290718147816095_73207372803295
59285847_2290683977819512_85723565836426
59285822_2290718124482764_52819688409582
59285649_2290718621149381_32157266769105
59106049_2290738807814029_33213635106795

GACD, Optimise FB on a field trip to Gweru for qualitative data collection.

APRIL, 2019

 

So much energy in Gweru even with the cold! These women are standing strong in their community, there is no alternative help for people with mental health problems so they take their work and referral system very seriously. Most Grnadmothers still carrying and using their ZEEbags from the training! 

Best surprise was meeting a Friendship Bench Grandfather who works as a Bench mobiliser. 

We look forward to seeing them again for the qualitative phase. 

IMG-20191008-WA0007
IMG-20190821-WA0004
IMG-20191008-WA0011
IMG-20191008-WA0010
IMG-20191008-WA0009
IMG-20191008-WA0008
IMG-20191008-WA0002
IMG-20190822-WA0010
IMG-20190821-WA0009
IMG-20190821-WA0006
IMG-20190821-WA0005
IMG-20191008-WA0004
IMG-20190821-WA0002
IMG-20190821-WA0003

Training for new Youth Bench Buddies and the public! 

APRIL 15-19, 2019

 

The Friendship Bench mission is to provide a sustainable community based mental health intervention that is evidence based, accessible and scalable. In pushing for scalability we have been hosting and facilitating public trainings in the Friendship Bench Approach to problem solving therapy for anyone above the age of 18 who wishes to apply for the 5-10 days of training. We have had amazing response from the public and continue to get messages requesting more trainings. Our first training was held for the public and new Youth Friendship Bench Buddies.

training 13
training 3
training 1
training
training.9 jpg
training 11
training 12
training 7
training 8
training 10
training 2
traininag 5
traininag 4
traininag 6

Friendship Bench ZW. Photography Exhibition in Germany. 

JULY 7, 2019

 

The Friendship Bench held a photo exhibition to mark the launch of the Friendship Bench Trust in Germany!

 

Photos and canvases we're provided by Photographer, Rainer Kwiotek, which were shot on his visit to Zimbabwe in 2018.

 

Rainer together with the Zeitenspiegel journalist Isabel Stettin published a multiple page feature on the Friendship Bench, it was beautiful!

 

Check it out... 

SEE ARTICLE HERE

RAINER KWIOTEK :)

ISABEL STETTIN :)

Exhibition-06
Exhibition-21
Exhibition-10
Exhibition-08
Exhibition-07
Exhibition-05
Exhibition-04
exhibition space 3
Exhibition-02
exhibition space 2
Exhibition-01
poster

Garden Update, just before winter!

APRIL

 

The garden is flourishing! We have minor anxiety about the water situation and the winter cold coming so thought now was the time for a quick update. 

In the beds currently are lettuce, spinach, eggplant, onions, cabbage,  beetroot, covo, tsunga and a mass of herbs. 

Peter the grounds man has been to Foundations for Farming on a course and hopefully we will get a compost pile going soon.

67289943_2341193156101927_79160023529375
67401776_2341193196101923_79259523791181
garden 10
garden 8
garden 9
IMG_20190424_155047_955
garden-6
garden-4
garden-5
garden-3
garden-2
garden-1

YouFB 'buddies';

the future of mental health care.

 

MARCH 2019

 

PEer counsellors

 

Students on attachment

The Friendship Bench, after it's success has embarked on the Youth Friendship Bench (YouFB) study.

  • One in six people are aged 10–19 years.

  • Mental health conditions account for 16% of the global burden of disease and injury in people aged 10–19 years.

  • Half of all mental health conditions start by 14 years of age but most cases are undetected and untreated.

Buddies and co-ordinators
student buddies and LHW
students2019-03-06-at-20.43.10
students2019-03-06-at-20.43.25
students2019-03-06-at-20.41.50
students2019-03-06-at-20.41.37
supervisionb