Here’s How Dr. Dixon Chibanda and 14 Grandmothers Created “The Friendship Bench” and Inspired a Mental Health Revolution

More than 20 years ago, psychiatrist Dr. Dixon Chibanda witnessed a heartbreaking problem in his native Zimbabwe: people near and far were suffering from depression and anxiety but could not get the support they needed. At the time, Zimbabwe had only 10 psychiatrists to service its population of 13 million. There had to be a way to bridge this gap, thought Dr. Chibanda.