Zimbabwe's Friendship Bench Wins UAE Innovation Award

Zimbabwe just showed the world that sometimes the best mental health care doesn't happen in hospitals but on wooden benches with trusted community elders.

His Highness Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan presented the Creative Government Innovations Award to Zimbabwe's Friendship Bench team at the World Government Summit 2026 in Dubai. The program beat out ten finalists from an initial pool of 50 groundbreaking government projects worldwide.

The Friendship Bench takes mental health support out of clinical settings and puts it where people actually gather: parks, community centers, and everyday spaces. The program trains grandmothers, who hold respected positions in Zimbabwean communities, to provide psychological first aid using culturally familiar language.

Instead of Western clinical terms, counselors discuss "kufungisisa," the local word for overthinking that encompasses anxiety and depression. This approach builds trust and makes mental health support feel accessible rather than foreign or intimidating.

The numbers tell a powerful story. More than 3,000 community health workers have received training through partnerships with Zimbabwe's Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization. The program now operates in over 300 primary healthcare facilities with 919 support groups nationwide.

Among participants, depression rates dropped by 78 percent. The 2025 World Happiness Report recognized the Friendship Bench as one of the most effective mental health interventions globally.

The Ripple Effect

The model's success has inspired twelve countries to adopt similar programs. El Salvador, the United States, Malawi, Zambia, Colombia, Vietnam, and Jordan are among the nations implementing their own versions of the Friendship Bench.

An independent jury of global experts evaluated finalists on three criteria: novelty of approach, replicability across different contexts, and measurable impact on real communities. Zimbabwe's initiative excelled in all three areas.

The award comes from the Mohammed bin Rashid Center for Government Innovation, which annually recognizes one groundbreaking government solution at the World Government Summit. The honor celebrates innovations that address critical human challenges through accessible, sustainable approaches.

What makes this initiative remarkable isn't just its effectiveness but its simplicity. By recognizing that mental health support works best when delivered by trusted community members in familiar settings, Zimbabwe created a solution that respects local culture while addressing a universal need.

Communities worldwide are proving that innovation doesn't always require expensive technology or complex systems—sometimes it just takes a bench and someone who cares enough to listen.