We aim to respond within 2 weeks. However, it does sometimes depend on the number of lists that have been submitted.

You can also donate through the JustGiving Platform You can also donate to the Friendship Bench by making a bank transfer to our Zimbabwean Nostro bank account or through a wire transfer to our USA bank account. Our Zim bank details are; Bank: Stanbic Bank, Zimbabwe Account name: Friendship Bench Account number: 9140000940576 Branch Name: Stanbic Bank Minerva Branch Code: 3125 Bank Address: 6 Duthie Road, Alexandra Park, Harare Swift code: SBICZWHX In Zimbabwe we do not have IBAN numbers. For more details on our donation options connect with our Fundraising team by sending an email to fundraising@friendshipbench.io !

Friendship Bench is present in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zanzibar, Vietnam, Kenya, Jordan, the USA (New York City and Washington DC), and the UK(London)

Talk therapy, also known as psychotherapy, is based on the core idea that talking about the things that are bothering you can help clarify them and put them in perspective. There are various forms of talk therapy, the Friendship Bench focuses on the evidence based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which focuses on problem solving sherapy and behavioural activation.

The Friendship Bench provides sustainable community based psychological interventions that are evidence based, accessible and scalable. We are reimagining the delivery of evidence-based mental healthcare through training community health workers (also known as lay health workers) to provide basic Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with an emphasis on Problem Solving Therapy, activity scheduling and peer led group support. This task shifting approach means we can deliver an effective, affordable and sustainable solution to bridge the mental health treatment gap at a primary care level.

Problem-solving therapy works by teaching people skills to help them take a more active role in their lives, taking more initiative, and utilizing whatever influence they have to effectively make decisions and achieve their goals. By using this treatment approach with one specific problem, people learn to apply it to any other problem they may face, empowering them to face difficulties more independently. As these skills are repeatedly practice, clients often report an increased sense of confidence and agency in many aspects of their lives.

All therapy sessions are free of charge.