About:
The Psychologists believe that many adults have problems that can be traced to unresolved traumatic childhood experiences. It is from this background that the training of teachers to equip them with knowledge and skills to identify and counsel children in schools traumatised as a result of HIV/AIDS was started by Kitovu Mobile AIDS Home Care, Counselling and Orphans Programme (MAHCOP) in April 2002. This is done in Masaka and Rakai Districts of South Central Uganda.
On this note, we welcome all on board to MAHCOP learning processes. We believe that the lessons learnt these past years are worth sharing with our partners keeping in mind too that learning is a continuous process. We shall look at what worked, how, when, where and why. We do hope that this project locally adapted would be beneficial to Ministries of Education, Gender and Social Development, NGOs and CBOs, and can also be duplicated in other areas as we work to improve the lives of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC).
Due to an increasing number of OVC as a result of HIV/AIDS, Trauma Counselling is one of the urgently needed interventions that can help us to effectively meet emotional needs of OVC thereby supplementing on other social services.
Training teachers in trauma counselling rotates around helping in- school -youth share their pains; deal with unresolved traumatic experiences, helping them to make informed choices/decisions for the future as well as promoting and building resilience in them. Although the target group for this project is the in- school-youth, it also helps the teachers to deal with their unresolved traumatic experiences through receiving counselling services provided by MAHCOP Senior Counsellors. Teachers trained in Trauma Counselling given the experiences they have also help fellow teachers in dealing with different problems they face.
Trauma counselling training for teachers involves imparting the skills of effective listening, ability to ask and answer questions as well as coming to the level of the child through information giving. Showing positive attitudes to the child, believing in the child, expressing warmth, being non-judgmental, the ability to be consistent, applying the right skills without betraying the child’s trust and keeping confidentiality are key to helping the traumatized child.
We would like to appreciate and acknowledge our partners Kindernothilfe (KNH) who funded our pilot project in Trauma Counselling and Ireland Aid for the three year financial support given to us to run the same project. We also thank the in- school- youth for allowing us to be part of their lives as well as Head teachers and Trauma Counsellor Teachers who work hard despite their busy schedules.
Our gratitude would be incomplete without acknowledging the special contribution and support of Sr. Ursula Sharpe, MMM, MAHCOP Staff, District Education Officers of Masaka and Rakai Districts as well as the Local Council and Religious Leaders in the project target sub-counties.
For all who have contributed in one way or the other that our children “may have life and life in all its fullness”, we say thank you.
Itoro Etokakpan, MMM.
Trainer in-charge of case supervision.