(L to R) Nesta Hatendi (PDG District 9210 - Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Northern Mozambique), Robert & Myra Fisher
Soon after being invited as guest speaker at Rotary Highlands, the invitation was rescinded as they decided to have an internal strategy day with no visitors. So my friend Nesta Hatendi (PDG District 9210 - Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Northern Mozambique), who is no stranger to Rotary Melbourne, arranged for Myra and me to attend Rotary Harare at Royal Harare Golf Club. When we arrived, it was obvious there was no Rotary meeting happening - it had been cancelled at very short notice. When in Africa......
Nevertheless we had good discussions with Nesta about our charity in Harare - the Friendship Bench Hub - which she helped us form, and to which she gives regular advice. The Hub is a community wellness centre, an adjunct to the NFP Friendship Bench organisation which operates throughout Zimbabwe and in a number of countries overseas. Their model is that a respected grandmother (trained in basic mental health care) sits on a park bench with a client who needs a listening ear for their personal stories to be told and provides appropriate guidance.
The Hub operates from a converted suburban home situated in a quiet environment, offering mental health support to anyone in the area who feels the need. Professional psychologists give private consultations in specially designed rooms. Classes in yoga, Thai Chi, meditation, art and knitting are run by experts in their field, and there's a cafe serving teas, coffees and light meals under a huge canopy.
Different groups meet regularly in what was once the lounge room. The Hub has been going now for two years, and I'd like to again acknowledge the generosity of Rotary Melbourne, who helped the final stages of adapting the property for its new life. To witness the Hub abuzz with activity was quite emotional for Myra and me, knowing it is now established as a little success story in a country wracked with poverty and mental issues arising from years of conflict and political uncertainty.
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