Friendship Bench Global

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Friendship Bench Global Friendship Bench Global supports the scale of the Friendship Bench model.

From its roots in Zimbabwe, the model has been replicated in 12 countries and is recognized as an evidence-based, community-led solution to the global mental health care gap.

10/16/2026

After losing a patient who couldn’t afford the bus fare to hospital, Prof. Dixon Chibanda set out to bring mental health care closer to home.

“Taking evidence-based mental health care from institutions, from hospitals and into the community.” 💛

— Prof. Dixon Chibanda, Founder of Friendship Bench

🎥 Watch the full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvGUK2cXx9Q

Trevor Ncube

Friendship Bench Global was glad to take part in Making More Health Together 2026 in Ingelheim, Germany, alongside socia...
10/16/2026

Friendship Bench Global was glad to take part in Making More Health Together 2026 in Ingelheim, Germany, alongside social entrepreneurs, impact investors and health leaders.

The conference theme resonated with our work to expand access to evidence-based mental health support through local partnerships and adapt the Friendship Bench model to different contexts. At the heart of this work are the community health workers who make support accessible within their own communities.

Thank you to Boehringer Ingelheim and the Making More Health team for convening this community.

Make it real. Make more health together. 💛

Theologische Hochschule Friedensau

The countdown is officially ON 🚴‍♂️ 3,000 kilometers. Total dedication.The 2026 Old Legs Tour team is ready, on the grou...
10/15/2026

The countdown is officially ON 🚴‍♂️

3,000 kilometers. Total dedication.

The 2026 Old Legs Tour team is ready, on the ground in Vietnam, and about to turn their sweat and kilometers into free talk therapy sessions for individuals overcoming depression and anxiety in Zimbabwe.

But they need our collective wind behind their backs! Let's show them the power of our community and appreciation!

Leave a comment below to wish the riders luck, and head to our donations, every dollar counts!

🎗 Support the 2026 Old Legs by donating today: www.friendshipbench.org/donate

Follow us on IG @ ericgeorgedejong

This World Mental Health Day, we are reflecting on what it takes to make mental health support accessible to everyone.In...
10/10/2026

This World Mental Health Day, we are reflecting on what it takes to make mental health support accessible to everyone.

In 2006, our founder, Professor Dixon Chibanda, began working with 14 grandmothers in Harare, Zimbabwe, to address gaps in access to mental health care. What started on a wooden bench has grown into a community-led approach that has reached more than a million people.

On 12 October, Professor Chibanda joins Trevor Ncube on In Conversation with Trevor to reflect on the journey, its impact and what comes next.

📌 Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/

You can also meet Professor Chibanda at the Friendship Bench Non-Conference in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, from 1–3 December 2026. The gathering will bring together people working to transform mental health across communities and countries.

Register here: https://www.friendshipbench.org/non-conference/about

Friendship Bench Global | Friendship Bench - Zimbabwe | Friendship Bench Hub

Building on an exchange that began when the Ububele Education Psychotherapy Trust team visited Friendship Bench to learn...
10/09/2026

Building on an exchange that began when the Ububele Education Psychotherapy Trust team visited Friendship Bench to learn about our programmes, our team visited Ububele in Johannesburg, South Africa, in August. The knowledge exchange brought together two task-shifting organisations to explore synergies around mental health and childhood development. The visit was made possible with support from Jane West and the Two Lilies Fund.

Established in 2000, Ububele is a centre of learning focused on improving the emotional development and wellbeing of children under seven, their parents and other caregivers.

The early years of a child’s life are important for emotional development, while the wellbeing of parents and caregivers also shapes the environment in which children grow. Making mental health support accessible means recognising these connections and considering how support can reach people at different stages of life.

During the visit, we had the opportunity to see aspects of Ububele’s work in practice, including home visits, the Baby Mat, Newborn Behavioural Observation (NBO) and reflective supervision. These conversations offered an opportunity to learn from each other’s approaches and explore potential synergies.

We are grateful to the Ububele team for welcoming us and to Jane West and the Two Lilies Fund for supporting this opportunity.

📌 Learn more about Ububele: https://www.ububele.org/about
📌 Learn more about Friendship Bench Global: https://www.friendshipbench.org/

3000 km, 2 countries, 1 mission = making mental health for all a reality on the Friendship Bench.Every dollar raised by ...
10/08/2026

3000 km, 2 countries, 1 mission = making mental health for all a reality on the Friendship Bench.

Every dollar raised by the Old Legs goes directly into free, community based, talk therapy across Zimbabwe.

• It trains a community member to deliver evidence-based talk therapy
• It creates safe spaces where anxiety and depression are met with empathy, not stigma.
• It bridges the gap to mental health access for thousands of Zimbabweans who need it most.

You can also be a part of the change!
🔗 Visit https://friendshipbench.org/donations to donate today. Every dollar counts!
🎗 Join us in Victoria Falls for their arrival and the Friendship Bench Non-Conference*: https://friendshipbench.org/non-conference/about

*Registration closes 15th October

Follow us on IG @ ericgeorgedejong

📢 DEADLINE EXTENDED - 11 SEPTEMBER 2026There is still time to submit proposals for Friendship Bench’s Five-Year Global S...
09/07/2026

📢 DEADLINE EXTENDED - 11 SEPTEMBER 2026

There is still time to submit proposals for Friendship Bench’s Five-Year Global Scaling Strategy (2027–2031).

We are seeking a Lead Strategy Firm or Lead Strategist to help shape our global scaling strategy and operating architecture as Friendship Bench continues to scale internationally.

We welcome proposals from firms and strategists with experience developing organisational or global scaling strategies, and a background in global health, mental health, or social impact.

✨ Submission deadline: Friday, 11 September 2026, 17:00 CAT

Full RFP and submission details: https://www.friendshipbench.org/rfp-global-scaling-strategy

HelpAge USA didn’t have to start by developing their own mental health model. They adapted the evidence-based Friendship...
09/05/2026

HelpAge USA didn’t have to start by developing their own mental health model. They adapted the evidence-based Friendship Bench In A Box toolkit, which contains the tools and resources an organization needs to bring Friendship Bench to their community.

Is your organization ready?

Reach out to us to start the conversation: https://fbinabox.friendshipbench.org/partnerships/partnerships/

Huge thank you to our partner HelpAge USA for bringing Friendship Bench to Washington, DC. Since 2023, 19+ "Grandparents...
09/04/2026

Huge thank you to our partner HelpAge USA for bringing Friendship Bench to Washington, DC. Since 2023, 19+ "Grandparents" have been trained, 20 host partner sites have been opened, and over 800 sessions have been delivered - with a second Grandparent cohort now trained, and their sights set on bringing Friendship Bench to more U.S. communities next.

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