The Friendship Bench consoles in times of trouble.

‘WHEN I find myself in times of trouble’, sang the Beatles rock band in 1970, ‘Mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be.’ Apart from two or three prosperous years in the 90s, Zimbos have been constantly dogged by times of trouble, many of us unable to find jobs or find the means to feed our families.

Grandmother conduction a problem solving therapy session with a young female client on the Friendship Bench at a primary care clinic in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Given our fragile economy and ailing healthcare system, we were concerned to learn about a new scourge, Covid-19. This mother of all troubles was raging throughout China and Europe, but we were quietly optimistic that it might not make its way to Africa. But several months after the Chinese New Year, when we were first alerted to the danger of an epidemic, the first case of the virus was announced in Harare. At the time of writing, there have been 567 cases of Covid-19, and six deaths.

Three months into the pandemic, lockdown in Zimbabwe has been eased to level two, but our lives have been changed forever. Many people are now venturing outside, but with the virus still raging, other feel safest at home. Although the closure of gyms, restaurants and bars, and loss of contact with family and friends while in seclusion at home, are all proving stressful, there are many coping mechanisms available.

Firstly, take frequent breaks from watching the news on TV. Having rolling CNN or Sky News on in the living room can be dispiriting, so watch a cheerful cookery programme, or cover up the TV with a gudza until 8 pm.

A nutritious, well-balanced diet can also assist in reducing stress, so rather than resorting to frequent cups of coffee, doughnuts and chocolate bars to take your mind off feelings of anxiety, snack on peanuts, baked mbambaira and bananas. Eat healthy meals that include bright-coloured vegetables like kale, broccoli and pumpkin, all providing essential fibre and vitamins.

With the closure of restaurants and bars, you may have been stocking up your drinks cabinet , staying up late, binging on Netflix and indulging in one too many glasses of wine. Now is the time to cut out the late nights and booze, set your alarm clock for 6 am, and start a home workout routine. My favourite online personal trainer is Joe Wicks, who provides exercise at all levels from ‘Five Alive’ kids workout, to high intensity fat burning sessions, and to sedate feel good exercises for seniors.

At this point in time, when excessive demands are being placed on all of us by the lockdown and fear of what the future might hold, it’s essential to maintain positive mental health. Mental health disorders are now better understood than they were thirty or even ten years ago, and credit for this is due in a large part to the work of Professor Dixon Chibanda at the UZ Clinical Research Centre.

Born in Gweru and educated at Prince Edward School in Harare, Chibanda won a scholarship, and spent the next seven years studying medicine in the Czech Republic. Although he had considered specialising in gynaecology, when a friend in medical school committed suicide, mental health and the way that people think, feel and behave became an overriding interest. Returning home, and re-connecting with Zimbabwean culture, he knew his future lay in the field of psychiatry. After obtaining a PhD in public mental health at UCT and a Masters Degree in public healthcare at UZ, his career took off in earnest.

Prof Chibanda is perhaps best known for The Friendship Bench, a project he began in 2006. Problem-solving therapy is provided by trained lay health workers to help people suffering from ‘kufungisisa’ (in Shona) or ‘thinking too much/depression’ (in English).

Therapy sessions are provided on wooden benches outside clinics, by grandmothers trained to counsel patients. Sources of knowledge and wisdom, these gogos are not so different from the Desert Fathers and Mothers in the deserts of Mesopotamia in the third century, who developed recommendations to heal ‘the sickness of the soul’, and are now considered to be among the world’s first therapists.

The first Friendship Bench was set up in 2006, outside the Edith Opperman Clinic in Mbare. Prof Chibanda funded the project out of his own pocket for almost six years, by which time the effectiveness of this concept had been noticed by the rest of the world.

The Friendship Bench has started a mental health revolution, and has not only made its way to Malawi, Tanzania and Kenya, but can be found in Harlem and the Bronx in New York City, where its popularity is surging.

As more and more people require help, Prof Chibanda has plans to digitalise his work on the bench, providing digital platforms for those in need. The gogos all use WhatsApp, and send messages to their patients. In preparation for the new reality post lockdown, we can use technology to create a sense of belonging in communities, and discover a sense of purpose.

Coming to terms with the present time of trouble may seem daunting, but Prof Chibanda considers this to be ‘an exciting time in Zimbabwe’, a ‘time to embrace technology and to revolutionise the provision of psychological services’. Technology and the smart phone, a powerful tool in giving communities a voice and keeping in touch with others, can improve the lot of every member of society and arrest the spike in mental health disorders. A Matter of Taste with Charlotte Malakoff

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