TEACHERS from schools in Mufakose and Glen View are set to impart knowledge gained from a training programme on trauma healing and counselling to their respective communities.
Report by Byron Mutingwende
The programme was funded by a United States-based organisation — Brookings Institution following recommendations by Pamhidzai Mhongera, executive director of Blossoms Children’s Home to use comprehensive counselling as one way of improving poor educational and psychological outcomes for adolescent orphan girls.
“Many of the trainees have been able to help stop suicide, abortion and restore relationships since part of the training dealt with relationships,” said Dr Felix Tarwireyi, a part-time lecturer in the University of Zimbabwe’s Department of Community Medicine and a renowned professional health practitioner who facilitated the training programme.
Chakabva Pasi, a teacher at Mufakose 2 High School who received a certificate in counselling, said the course had gone a long way in changing his understanding of how to deal with cases of trauma and offer counselling services to members of his community and students.
“The training initiated a change in me. I learnt that we might ignorantly contribute to trauma through the way we speak to those in need of support and counselling services. I no longer shout at students for making mistakes and being disorderly. I use the same approach with my neighbours and parents of naughty children at our school,” Pasi said.
A caregiver from Hupenyu Children’s Home, Emilia Michael, said she had learnt how to adjust when helping vulnerable children in need of counselling and when dealing with problems faced by her family members.
“I have learnt that it is important to treat anyone traumatized with care and love. I now understand how to deal with children who cry and are lost and how to deal with their difficult situations.
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The training on counselling has also taught me to treat my spouse with respect unlike in the past when we were always fighting and quarrelling,” Michael said.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the teachers on behalf of the Harare provincial education director (PED), Valerio Mukova deputy PED — Secondary and non-formal education, said the purpose of the training in trauma healing was to enhance orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) case management in schools.
“The objectives of the training were to build the capacity of teachers in providing counselling services to students; improve the psychosocial well-being of orphans and other OVC particularly adolescent girls, through access to counselling services and to improve the mentoring and reporting of OVC’s enrolment, attendance and performance,” Mukova said.
Tarwireyi also cited the education system of meting out a disciplinary action on naughty students at school — who are often victims of trauma resulting in such ill-behaviour as taking up drugs as contributing to more cases of trauma.
“There is need to now focus on what the children need rather than to implement the disciplinarian approach because some of the children may be socialised to take up drugs by their parents or through peer pressure,” Tarwireyi said.
Tarwireyi warned that punishing students all the time might lead to rebellion and the best way of offering counseling was through building relationships with the victims.
