The times we are living in are peculiar mainly because of COVID-19 and this takes a toll on a lot of people’s mental health. Based in Harare, the Friendship Bench offers free counselling services from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm via WhatsApp, either by messages or calls to promote mental health.
To take part in these free counselling sessions, one has to book for sessions on their WhatsApp number. They then receive Terms of Service to go through before a Friendship Bench Buddie gets in touch for sessions.
According to their Facebook page, The Friendship Bench is an evidence-based mental health intervention, developed in Zimbabwe to bridge the mental health treatment gap. Using a task shifting approach, community health workers deliver problem solving therapy on wooden benches in safe spaces. Now that COVID-19 has made it unsafe to be in close proximity, the organisation has turned to social media to perform the duty, which is much needed in times like these.
It also “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”)” as specified on their Facebook page.
They guide and support participants in the process of discovering their own solutions. Friendship Bench does not give advice or solve problems for those they counsel.
In Zimbabwe, such a program is ideal as patients need help to overcome issues that leads to poor mental health.
