Friendship Bench - Zimbabwe

Friendship Bench - Zimbabwe Friendship Bench Zimbabwe is an evidence-based mental health intervention. We provide free talk therapy. We are a member of the Friendship Bench global network.
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Friendship Bench provides free mental health and psychosocial support for people struggling with mild to moderate mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. Working with community health workers trained in problem-solving therapy and behavioural activation we are bridging the mental health treatment gap in Zimbabwe and beyond. The talk therapy intervention is accessible at primary care clinics as well as via WhatsApp so it is widely accessible.

22/01/2026

Exciting news!

Friendship Bench together with the University of Zimbabwe, and partners from Dutch & UK institutions have been awarded a $7 million grant from Wellcome. While the Friendship Bench is known for its wooden benches, we know there are many barriers that still keep people from getting the support they need. This funding will support the optimisation of our existing digital intervention to enhance access to the program across Zimbabwe and beyond. The project aims to expand access to mental health care, test innovative approaches, and strengthen our existing systems using digital platforms including AI.

This grant is a major step forward in our mission to get people out of depression, and our vision of having a Friendship Bench within walking distance for all! Making mental health care accessible, effective, and sustainable.

🔊 New Grant Announcement‼️
21/01/2026

🔊 New Grant Announcement‼️

Happy New Yearđź’šAs we step into a new year, we remain committed to creating safe spaces for healing, hope, and meaningful...
01/01/2026

Happy New Yearđź’š

As we step into a new year, we remain committed to creating safe spaces for healing, hope, and meaningful conversations. Here is to stronger minds, supportive communities, and continued compassion in 2026.

We are happy to close off the year by supporting our long-term financial partner, Vista Chartered Accountants Zimbabwe, ...
10/12/2025

We are happy to close off the year by supporting our long-term financial partner, Vista Chartered Accountants Zimbabwe, with a mental health sensitisation workshop.

The financial sector is known for its high-demand, high-productivity environment which makes it even more important to pause, reflect, and ensure teams are mentally well and sustainably supported.

Prioritising employee wellbeing is not just good practice, it’s a strategic investment that strengthens productivity, clarity, and long-term organisational performance.

Together, let’s build workplaces where people and performance thrive. Reach out to us on partnerships@friendshipbench.io to find out more on how you can have similar wellness sessions or trainings at your workplace.

Under the theme “United to End Tuberculosis for a Zimbabwe Free of Tuberculosis”, we joined the Ministry of Health and C...
01/12/2025

Under the theme “United to End Tuberculosis for a Zimbabwe Free of Tuberculosis”, we joined the Ministry of Health and Child Care and Bulawayo City Council at Sekusile Shopping Centre in Nkulumane for a community TB awareness initiative. This national call to action highlights the importance of a comprehensive, multisectoral response to ending TB and we were proud to contribute by emphasising the crucial link between one’s mental health and physical health.

We were particularly encouraged by the strong turnout of men who visited our stand, engaging openly in mental health conversations and participating in screenings. Their willingness to seek support and prioritise their wellbeing reflects a positive cultural shift toward breaking stigma and normalising mental health care.

This experience reaffirmed the value of taking mental health services into community spaces, creating safe and accessible opportunities for men to engage, learn, and access early support.

This week we joined the Mugota Young Men’s Forum as part of a panel, where we engaged men on the realities they face and...
27/11/2025

This week we joined the Mugota Young Men’s Forum as part of a panel, where we engaged men on the realities they face and the importance of prioritising and seeking mental health support when needed.

Together with representatives from National Aids Council and Padare, we emphasised on the need for creating safe spaces for honest conversations and collective healing amongst men.

This week we joined the Mugota Young Men’s Forum as part of a panel, where we engaged men on the realities they face and...
27/11/2025

This week we joined the Mugota Young Men’s Forum as part of a panel, where we engaged men on the realities they face and the importance of prioritising and seeking mental health support when needed.

Together with representatives from and Padare, we emphasised on the need for creating safe spaces for honest conversations and collective healing amongst men.


Mugota

Building Bridges of CareThe youth in Hopely now have a physical Bench! After successfully completing the FB in A Box tra...
17/11/2025

Building Bridges of Care

The youth in Hopely now have a physical Bench!

After successfully completing the FB in A Box training, Friendship Bench, ActionAid Zimbabwe and representatives from ActionAid Denmark handed over a Bench to the delivering agents in Hopely.

At the heart of ensuring full ownership of community-based mental health support is agency and giving young people a space to support other young people in their community is part of our shared vision.

Together, we continue to bring safe spaces for conversation and healing.

A new story for women’s health starts now, and we’re ready! Friendship Bench Zimbabwe is proud to be one of 80+ awardees...
13/11/2025

A new story for women’s health starts now, and we’re ready!

Friendship Bench Zimbabwe is proud to be one of 80+ awardees for Action for Women’s Health, a global open call funded by Pivotal Ventures and managed by Lever for Change.

Over the past two decades, our army of grandmothers have been dedicated to advancing access for mental health for communities across Zimbabwe and by December 2025, we would have impacted over 1 million lives through the Friendship Bench. This award recognizes that our locally founded model works and we look forward to utilizing this support to deepen our reach throughout Zimbabwe, ensuring A Friendship Bench Within Walking Distance For All.

We are honored to join a global cohort of changemakers delivering innovative, scalable, and equitable solutions for women’s health.

Read more: https://lnkd.in/e5xxV95R

The goal is to have “A Friendship Bench Within Walking Distance For All” and this can only be achieved through partnersh...
12/11/2025

The goal is to have “A Friendship Bench Within Walking Distance For All” and this can only be achieved through partnerships.

Today, we used media as a tool to reach millions of men across the nation through collaborating with Zimbabwe Television Network to raise awareness on mental health and reduce stigma around this critical issue.

You can contribute to our collective efforts by clicking the link below, sharing with your network, and putting to practice the recommendations shared:

đź”— https://www.facebook.com/ZTNPrime/videos/1105218844885114/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

Address

4 Weale Road
Harare

Opening Hours

Monday 09:00 - 16:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 16:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 16:00
Thursday 09:00 - 16:00
Friday 09:00 - 13:00

Telephone

+263715191738

Website

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Our Story

The Friendship Bench Project reduces the mental health treatment gap by using a cognitive behavioural therapy based approach at local clinics to address kufungisisa. The mental intervention for depression and anxiety is accessible in all primary care clinics in Gweru, Chitungwiza and Harare. Kufungisisa, the local term for depression, is literally translated into “thinking too much”. Individual problem solving therapy is offered from a specifically trained lay health worker (locally known as "Ambuya Utano").