14 Jul 2016

Kweneng District Council (KDC) has welcomed back the first group of EARTH methodology participants from a 12-day boot camp.

Speaking during a welcome ceremony, chief social, welfare and community development officer in the district, Ms Nkae Modikwe said the event was the first of its kind to be implemented following government’s decision of providing counseling for orphans.

The counseling was conducted through EARTH methodology, a process where counsellors put themselves into the children`s shoes and engage them on activities as a process of making them deal with their sorrow and bringing closure. EARTH is an acronym for Empathy, Action Oriented, Relationship building, Transformation and Healing.

Ms Modikwe said children need to share their experiences over their loss in order to bring closure to their situations, hence healing from the pain. Thus she said they used different approaches at the boot camp to assist each child`s emotions for them to open up about their situations

For her part, social and welfare officer Ms Maurine Lefifi said they also used art therapy, whereby the children would be required to draw what they wish, from which they found out that children were being abused by their guardians and that they had low self-esteem.

She said they also found out that some parent/guardians exchanged children`s food rations for alcohol, adding that some do not look after the children`s health statuses. It was explained that after the programme, the children are expected to go through a transition by growing into responsible elders who are strong to endure life challenges.

“They should be able to heal from pain and rebuild relationships with their guardians over clashes they experienced.” When giving a word of encouragement, district performance improvement coordinator at Kweneng council Ms Rosah Mokone urged parents to have guiding principles at home for children to abide by in order to raise them well knowing right and wrong.

“Befriend your children in order to know and understand them and make them never fear to approach you whenever they have a problem”, said Ms Mokone advising guardians, teachers and relatives of the children.

Ms Mokone advised the children to work hard on their studies, as education was their gateway to everything they wish to become.

 It was explained the program which had 80 participants, targeted only standard seven pupils in the district, stating that 40 participants were from Molepolole North, 20 from the Mogoditshane/Thamaga region and another 20 from Ditshegwane-Letlhakeng area. ENDS