The Friendship Bench
How Fourteen Grandmothers Inspired a Mental Health Revolution
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The Friendship Bench
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Narrated by:
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Dixon Chibanda MD
About this listen
A simple, human solution for loneliness and depression
When Dr. Dixon Chibanda lost a patient to suicide, he began a soul-searching journey that eventually led to a mental healthcare revolution. As one of only six psychiatrists in all of Zimbabwe, a country traumatized by decades of conflict, Chibanda quickly realized that millions there were suffering from mental illness with no hope of receiving care. He saw that the only way to narrow this care gap was to leverage existing resources in the community, and one such resource was the compassion and understanding of grandmothers. With fourteen of these wise elders as partners, Chibanda pioneered the Friendship Bench program, a community-driven initiative addressing loneliness, depression, substance abuse, and suicide by fostering intergenerational connectedness. Since then, more than 500,000 people worldwide have sat on a park bench to share their personal stories with an empathetic grandmother.
A primer on how human connection forms the bedrock of our resilience, The Friendship Bench gives listeners the tools to facilitate transformative healing by reaching out to those who are struggling and isolated from the world around them. It’s a case study of how interventions supported by robust scientific evidence can be made accessible for all. Ultimately, it’s a celebration of the collective wisdom and knowledge of those rooted in their communities and their profound ability to foster belonging, purpose, and healing.
Critic Reviews
“Friendship benches are inspiring and necessary, and Dixon Chibanda’s beautiful and heroic book will inspire everyone who reads it.”—Johann Hari, bestselling author of Lost Connections and Chasing the Scream
“This is an amazing book. The Friendship Bench is a truly profound story of abandonment trauma and the healing power of connection: To be heard, to be acknowledged, to be anchored in a relationship of empathy is to begin healing our deepest wounds. It is so very moving to imagine the impact of these grandmothers creating connection with people who are hurting, and helping them heal with simple acts of love.”—Susan Anderson, bestselling author of The Journey from Abandonment to Healing and Taming Your Outer Child
“Loneliness, depression, mental illness, substance abuse — our world is desperate for solutions to these stubborn human plagues, and Dixon Chibanda is promoting a beautifully simple one. In my work reimagining midlife, I’ve seen the power of intergenerational connection and how the immense wisdom and value of our elders is often squandered. Chibanda has been doing extraordinary work leveraging this vital human resource, working with grandmothers to offer solace and direction to those who are suffering the worst. This wonderful book shows us that we don’t have to rely only on professionals to help, that we are all each other’s keepers, and that simple human connection can be the greatest cure. Read it — you’ll love it!”—Chip Conley, bestselling author of Learning to Love Midlife