My name is Melody Banda. I am a community health worker living in Chizivi, Marondera. I am 55 years old and have two daughters and grandchildren. My husband and I live together on our farm, where we do farming.
I have been working with Friendship Bench for three years. What drew me to becoming a Friendship Bench grandmother was my lifelong passion for helping people by talking with them, assisting them in solving their problems, and fostering reconciliation. I learned how to do this better when I became a Friendship Bench grandmother. In the community where I live, we use various methods to mobilize clients. We visit churches, meetings, clinics, and weddings, and some clients come to us on their own. Sometimes, when we attend community gatherings for food distributions, we ask permission to speak and inform people about Friendship Bench, encouraging them to seek help and refer friends and relatives who may be struggling with mental health issues. This approach has helped me to get more clients from my community.
When we started, we visited every household to raise awareness about the Friendship Bench intervention. We have faced challenges, the community was initially hesitant to accept us, but now they understand the work we do and have seen firsthand the positive impact we have on people's lives. Sometimes, I would easily identify someone who is troubled, even if they did not mention anything to me. Their eyes or behaviour would often reveal their distress. For example, a woman may take out her breast to feed her baby but seem distracted or distant, indicating that she may be troubled or thinking too much. Most women come to us with marital problems, including issues of sexually transmitted diseases, infidelity, and domestic violence. During our sessions with clients, some of the issues they present affect me emotionally. Hearing about a client's husband infecting her with HIV or raping their child can be overwhelming for me as a mother and parent. However, in such cases, I refer them for further assistance.
As a grandmother, I practice self-care to maintain my well-being. When I am overwhelmed by my personal problems, I avoid conducting sessions to prevent interruptions in my work. What I love about my work is helping people find solutions to their problems through talk therapy and celebrating their successes. I enjoy seeing clients overcome their challenges and achieve positive outcomes.
My words of encouragement to anyone struggling with mental health issues are: Do not keep your problems bottled up. Find someone to talk to, whether it's a friend or relative. Opening up and seeking advice can prevent further harm and provide opportunities for healing.
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