WATCH: This ‘Friendship Bench’ is pulling on the healing power of grandmothers

Zimbabwe, like most countries, is grappling with a severe shortage of mental health care providers–one psychiatrist for every 1.5 million people– and a surplus of grandmothers seeking purpose in their lives.

Dixon Chibanda brought the two together by founding “The Friendship Bench,” an organization that recruits and trains older women in cognitive behavioral therapy and then connects them with clients dealing with “kufungisisa,” or depression. In this episode, Dixon describes the things he’s learned while witnessing the healing power of grandmothers–and of sharing stories.

It’s one story from our Brief But Spectacular collection, The New Longevity.

AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. Learn more at aarp.org/pri