Ephephania Munetsi

The Friendship Bench, a project which Professor Dixon Chibanda, a psychiatrist, founded in 2006 after a mental health stakeholders’ meeting resolved to address increased common mental disorders among people seeking treatment at primary care clinics around the country. Shortage of trained mental health personnel in the country led to the founding of the Friendship Bench project. He initiated the program in Mbare with a group of elderly women locally known as “Mbuya Utano.” Sessions are usually conducted on a wooden bench within the clinic grounds; hence the name Friendship Bench. The counselor and the client sit down and hold a session. Since then, the project has gained national and international attention. From its humble beginnings in Mbare, the intervention is now being delivered by trained and supervised male and female lay health workers of all age groups around the country. In 2019 the Ministry of Health and Child Care endorsed the Friendship Bench as a national program.

The Friendship Bench, a project aimed at providing free mental health services to the community and is fast spreading in Masvingo province after having been largely domiciled in Harare. The Project is currently being offered in Zaka and will be offered in Masvingo.

The Friendship Bench, a psychological intervention aimed at addressing common mental disorders has noticed a surge in cases of domestic violence since the advent of COVID – 19 in Zimbabwe and Masvingo as one of the provinces has not been spared. Domestic violence, also referred to as intimate partner violence is a crime committed by a current, former spouse or intimate partner of the victim.

In Masvingo province the friendship helped in counseling of issues of domestic violence with men being victims. Although rare, men also reported being victims of domestic violence with women being the perpetrators. Because men are supposed to be the stronger sex, not too many of them come out in the open about being abused by their female partners. Through its praxis The Friendship Bench found out that there is secrecy about male abuse and is related to culture. The friendship Bench encouraged the men to speak out on a free and confidential bench which proved to have a cathartic effect to the men.

Lay health workers in Masvingo provide services to victim of domestic violence, those with minds which are heavily burdened, resulting in sleep disturbances. This is done to help them regain their concentration, and help them avoid self neglect. The Friendship bench counseling has helped in Masvingo by also providing adherence therapy especially to persons living on life-saving medication and mothers breastfeeding to ensure the health also of the yet to be born child.

Currently in Masvingo, the Friendship Bench provides counselling for free as the lay health workers intervene to help clients deal with their problems. Cases of suicidal ideation are always dealt with successfully by the trained Friendship Bench counselors. They also explore support networks within families and the community. Case referrals to other service providers are also done. On-going counseling services and online services are being offered even during this period of when COVID-19 has had adverse effects.

For more information about free Friendship Bench counselling, you can contact Ropafadzo on 0772 938 902.

Ephephania Munetsi, one of the Friendship Bench Project Coordinators, is a Research Psychology intern. She holds an MPhil, and she is currently studying for a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Psychology. She has an interest in mental health and has been working in the field for more than ten years.