21 Nov 2017

Orphan Care Program Officer at Maun Administration Authority (MAA), Ms Ototeng Serite says there is need to sensitise the public on importance of counselling services provided by social workers in the Social and Community Development (S&CD) office.

In an interview, Ms Serite said that some Batswana failed to appreciate and make use of the counselling services aspect of the S&CD office.

Counselling, she observed, was paramount to one’s wellbeing as it resulted in a wholesome person.

Ms Serite said a depressed soul could not be healed through medication or proper meals, but through therapy.

She said in most cases people associated the S&CD with the welfare services to the orphans and needy people of the community, a sign that the S&CD departments needed to correct the perception through sensitisation.

Ms Serite made the observation in the sidelines of a caregivers workshop for orphaned children in Maun recently.

She therefore encouraged the caregivers to make use of their social workers for therapy.

The workshop revealed that many of the caregivers suffered from emotional illnesses, which resulted from the loss of their loved ones, which might affect their care for orphans.

A therapist with Ark and Mark Trust, Ms Mpho Sebako noted that their organisation, which had partnered with government on grief and trauma therapy, also provided counselling services to the social workers to strengthen them to manage their clientele.

Ms Sebako noted that the therapy exercise was three years long and catered for orphaned adolescents doing Form One to Form Three.

A principal welfare officer, Mr Keidigetse Mhapha said the workshop was an eye opener even to social workers.

He therefore said training should encourage those lagging behind in professionalism to correct their ways. ENDS