Helen's Memorial Fund In Support of Mental Health

My name is U-Meleni Mhlaba-Adebo. As with a lot of people in 2020, I lost a loved one, my mother Helen Murapa.  She passed away June 4, 2020, of complications from cancer after being in a coma with a brain tumor at the age of 72.

Due to closed global borders, I could not be there to lay her to rest. I couldn’t say goodbye to my best friend, fellow Scorpio, and the woman who gave me life and nurtured my love of words.

To honor my late mother, I am raising money to support a program named Friendship Bench which provides community mental health that is free and accessible through face-to-face or virtual platforms, like WhatsApp. 

My mother was brilliant, fearless, creative and so much fun. She was at the forefront of social justice when she was in college and beyond working to tell and amplify women's stories.


She was a plant-whisperer, a farmer, an academic,  an entrepreneur creating an eco-bed and breakfast in Zimbabwe -a place for mindfulness and nature. She was a wonderful grandma to our son!She was and still is an inspiration in my work as an Artist, my life as partner, mother, sister and friend. Her spirit lives on in us.

But my mother Helen also struggled with DEPRESSION. She was lucky, because of her station in life she was able to get support but so many in my country of Zimbabwe cannot afford to.


Many in Zimbabwe don’t have access to, or the ability to pay for mental health services, which is why I want to commit to raising $5000 to the friendship bench in my mother's honor. 

Friendship Bench , provides community mental health, which is free and accessible through face to face or virtual platforms. 
They train Gogo’s ( The shona name for grandmothers) to provide problem-solving therapy on a bench to community members.

Those of you who know me asked how you can help in the hard days since my mother passed away, and here is how you can help. 

A donation of: 

$10, $20, $50        You will my love & admiration and  I will shout you out on social media 


$ 100            You  will get a personalized and  signed copy of my debut  poetry collection Soul Psalms for you or a friend and/or a  30 min virtual style session  Urban Thriftlogee (https://www.behance.net/UrbanThriftologee)


$200             You can get a 45 min Virtual U-Meleni Experience performance of poetry/storytelling & song with me for you and your friends.


$300         I will cook for you and friends ( up to 10) an authentic Zimbabwean and Nigerian culinary experience in your home.  This also includes:  basic shona lessons , an introduction to the music & sounds of our country
**** Just added from our good friends at SAWA TRIVIA an African trivia game to this package!
This is only available  for New England based folks.

Thank you ALL for your support and love.


***once money is collected I will send it directly to Friendship Bench and will then share report on how funds were utilized. I am in touch with the organization's leadership and have witnessed its growth and recognize its commitment to this important work.

For more on Friendship Bench hear from the founder Dr Dixon