Dixon Chibanda is a professor in psychiatry and the visionary director of the African Mental Health Initiative (AMARI). He is the founder of the innovative Friendship Bench program, which addresses depression -- referred to locally as "kufungisisa," or "thinking too much." The Friendship Bench empowers community grandmothers by training them in basic cognitive behavioral therapy, which they deliver from simple wooden benches in Zimbabwe and other regions. In 2023 alone, this impactful program reached over 200,000 people, providing crucial mental health support and transforming lives across communities.

Chibanda is based in Zimbabwe and London where he is also a professor of psychiatry and global mental health at the University of Zimbabwe and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. He is a medical doctor trained in public health and neurological-psychiatry. As one of 19 psychiatrists in Zimbabwe, which has a population of about 14 million, Chibanda has dedicated the last 10 years to developing evidence-based treatment for people that suffer from mental, neurological and substance use disorders. He is passionate about connecting with ordinary people in ways that improve their lives using simple but effective programs that can be carried out by non-specialists or professionals.

A black belt martial arts instructor, Chibanda also uses alternative interventions such as tai-chi and karate to enhance resilience in young people.

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