The 'Grandma Benches' of ZimbabweThe 'Grandma Benches' of Zimbabwe
All In The Mind
In Zimbabwe mental health has become a very big challenge, yet there are fewer than 20 psychiatrists in a population of over 14 million people. To help create accessible and effective care, psychiatrist Dr Dixon Chibanda began a talk-based cognitive behavioural therapy called Friendship Benches: training grandmothers to become health workers for their communities. Presenter Kim Chakanetsa hears the grandmothers are having astounding results, and recent clinical trials found they are more effective than conventional medical treatments. Dixon Chibanda is also moving his idea online and giving the world access to a virtual Friendship Bench. A BBC World Service program produced for The Documentary Part of the ABC's Your Mental Health initiative, in partnership with Lifeline and Kids Helpline, to support Australians during this challenging time.
29:07•5 Jul 2020
Grandma Benches That Bring Therapy to the Street
Episode Overview
- Training grandmothers in basic cognitive behavioural therapy can significantly expand access to mental health support in under-resourced settings.
- Using local language and concepts such as "kofungisisa" (thinking too much) helps reduce stigma and makes care feel more relatable.
- Structured storytelling and problem-solving on the bench guide clients towards practical actions on issues like money, relationships and health.
- Friendship Benches, delivered by lay workers and peers, can achieve outcomes that compare favourably with conventional medical treatments.
- Moving sessions onto phones and digital platforms like Inuka keeps community-based support going during crises such as Covid-19.
“"It works because it's simple. It's cheap. And it's run by communities."”
What resources and support systems are available for sobriety and mental wellbeing when professional help is thin on the ground? This episode of *All In The Mind* steps into Zimbabwe, where fewer than 20 psychiatrists serve over 14 million people, yet a simple idea is changing lives: wooden "Friendship Benches" staffed by community grandmothers. Psychiatrist Dr Dixon Chibanda explains how, during a national crisis, he began training grandmothers in basic cognitive behavioural therapy with a focus on problem-solving.
As he puts it, "It works because it's simple. It's cheap. And it's run by communities." These grandmothers sit on benches outside clinics and under trees, offering structured conversations to people living with depression, anxiety, trauma, money worries, HIV stigma and family conflict. Presenter Kim Chakanetsa talks with grandmother counsellors like Lucia Ngabu and Otilia Wadi, who share how they help clients break down overwhelming problems and find practical next steps.
One client, Jikombo Rero, describes feeling "better after just three sessions" when her husband left and she was struggling as HIV positive, showing how being heard and guided can ease despair. Project coordinator Epi Munetzi outlines the Shona Symptom Questionnaire used to identify those in distress, while Dr Chibanda highlights how language such as "kofungisisa" (thinking too much) helps reduce stigma around mental health.
The episode also looks at how the model has spread to Kenya, Malawi, New York and beyond, and how peers with lived experience of substance misuse and homelessness are using the bench approach to share hope. Covid-19 pushes the team to move chats onto phones and a digital platform, Inuka, along with youth-focused benches at universities. Through all this, the message is clear: community, conversation and simple tools can make support feel close and human, even where services are scarce.
It might leave you asking: what "bench" could exist in your own community to help someone feel less alone?
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