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The Friendship Bench (How Fourteen Grandmothers Inspired a Mental Health Revolution)
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$18.95
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Product Details
Author:
Dixon Chibanda
Format:
Paperback
Pages:
208
Publisher:
New World Library (April 22, 2025)
Imprint:
New World Library
Language:
English
Audience:
General/trade
ISBN-13:
9781955831024
ISBN-10:
1955831025
Weight:
16oz
Dimensions:
5.5" x 8.25" x 0.52"
File:
Redwheel-RedWheelWeiser_09012026_P10553398_onix30-20260831.xml
Folder:
Redwheel
List Price:
$18.95
Country of Origin:
Canada
Pub Discount:
65
Case Pack:
51
As low as:
$16.30
Publisher Identifier:
P-MISC
Discount Code:
C
Overview
“Dixon Chibanda’s beautiful and heroic book will inspire everyone who reads it.”
— Johann Hari
2025 BookPal OWL Award Winner • As featured on CBS Sunday Morning and NPR’s Here and Now
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 readers 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.
— Johann Hari
2025 BookPal OWL Award Winner • As featured on CBS Sunday Morning and NPR’s Here and Now
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 readers 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.
