THE FRIENDSHIP BENCH

Feature Documentary

DIRECTOR: Reabetswe Moeti-Vogt
PRODUCER: Graham Leader
EXEC PROD: Bill Roy, Pam Roy

LOGLINE

In a country ravaged by generational trauma, a psychiatrist trains grandmothers to treat depression within their communities.

SYNOPSIS

In 2006, Dr. Dixon Chibanda, a psychiatrist in Harare, was tasked by the government with treating the countless Zimbabweans suffering from severe hardship and depression. However, there was just a tiny handful of qualified psychiatrists responsible for treating mental health for the entire population. Scant resources meant searching for a solution beyond conventional practice, which forced Dr. Chibanda to consider grandmothers working in the welfare system as his only option. Starting with a group of 14, Dr. Chibanda began training these grandmothers in cognitive therapy to treat those suffering from kufungisisa -  depression that comes from too much heavy thinking.

Dr. Chibanda and his small team grew, developing a network of wooden Friendship Benches where Gogos (“grandmother” in Shona) sit and listen attentively to troubled members of their community. The volunteer Gogos offer simple advice that comes from their core wisdom and empathy. The Friendship Bench started in a distressed community in Harare and has since expanded throughout Zimbabwe into neighboring countries and beyond.

Our film focuses on the vision of Dr. Chibanda and explores the lives, relationships, and stories of the Gogos, weaving together a narrative tapestry that captures the communities who have benefitted from The Friendship Bench initiative.