Trymore Tagwirei
MIRROR REPORTER

MASVINGO-Friendship Bench (FB), a non-governmental organization specializing in mental health, has trained 56 Community health workers from Masvingo’s seven districts to offer psychotherapy to people battling anxiety.
The training workshop was held yesterday at Chevron, a Regency Group Hotel.
The Community Health Workers learnt basic counselling skills and will give free counselling and psychological therapy in their respective communities.
FB Masvingo trainer Duncan Majiji told The Mirror that they decided to train community health workers because many people succumb to anxiety and depression.  
“We aim to expand the organization by training community health workers in all seven districts in Masvingo Province. We have mental health counsellors at all clinics in Zaka, and we need to extend this to all communities in the province and country.
“FB mainly targets people suffering from mental disorders, and the bench will help to restore mental health to the people through interacting with them,’’ said Majiji.
FB was established in 2006 in Mbare, Harare, after discovering that youth between 15-28 years are committing suicide owing to stress. We realised that the youths do not have access to psycho-therapeutic help.