Mabel Mhona

This study seeks to address the ongoing health challenges posed by drug and substance abuse in Zimbabwe through exploring culturally relevant rehabilitation alternatives. Recognising that conventional  rehabilitation is often viewed as taboo, the research objective investigates how familiar aspects, such as agriculture, herbalism, and local culture, can support healing and social reintegration. The design aims to integrate these familiar elements (agriculture, herbalism, and culture) to ease the concept of rehabilitation and reintegrate the youth back into society. Therefore, the goal is to design a culturally sensitive rehabilitation grounded in the theoretical framework of indigenous and post-colonial theories, African cultural principles, and healing design philosophies. The primary themes of the research are agri-therapy, herbalism & indigenous healing practices, cultural & community-based healing approaches, salutogenic design theory, biophilic design theory and therapeutic architecture & healing spaces. The secondary themes are sustainability, eco-friendly design, healing through the earth and healing the earth, social reintegration & skills training and permaculture principles. 

The research is conducted through precedent study analysis, quantitative and qualitative desktop research, semi-structured online interviews, mapping, conceptual and technical drawings and site visits. The research will explore climate-responsive and vernacular approaches to inform the design. The goal is to create a therapeutic space that ensures safety and utilises the land as a healing mechanism while restoring the land. The project does not include clinical detoxification services, but focuses on post-detox. The design aims to reduce admission time in clinical rehabilitation, complementing, not replacing, the

medical phase of treatment. The research and design proposal acknowledges the importance of Western clinical care. However, it challenges its dominance in the Zimbabwean context by introducing a new approach to rehabilitation. Hence, the research and design proposal aims to contribute to the development of contextually and culturally responsive rehabilitation centres.