and reach thousands of daily visitors
Listen to thisA group of Child and Youth Care workers formed part of the team of helping professionals who provided individual and group counselling/play therapy for children and youth in South Africa's Mount Ayliff and surrounding areas after the January tornado. Cecil Wood of the NACCW’s Eastern Cape Region and Sbo Manyathi of the Association's Natal office shared in the co-ordinating of this team with Nomtu Ncume of the Department of Welfare in Umtata. Child care workers Nomsa Mandoyi and Nomonde Dingiswayo of King William’s Town and Nosisa Jongile of Umtata participated.
Training helpers
Cecil Wood consulted psychologist Ellen McClaggan, experienced in
counselling trauma victims, in compiling notes for counsellors. On 27
January the first training sessions began. “Most people were keen to
help in some way, but felt that they did not have the necessary skills,"
reports Cecil. Members of the team joined the 800 mourners attending the
memorial service in S'pundu. Cecil continues: “After the service we
asked for a member of the community to share his story with the team. He
took us to where his home had been and on the way we saw the utter
devastation."
Homes were literally flattened and sheets of zinc roofing were strewn across the valley. Army tents had been erected near to where houses had stood. Power lines had blown down and lay lifeless on the ground. We saw groups of children playing games in the streets, illustrating their resilience in times of hopelessness. The following morning the training took a dramatic turn when one of those training to help others told us that she had herself lost her home in the tornado. She agreed to participate in that capacity in role-plays, and in offering an invaluable learning experience for others she felt that it was very helpful for her.
Hospitals
After the teams had discussed and modified their strategies with the
whole group, they felt that they “knew what to do and how to do it." One
team visited the Mount Ayliff Hospital and worked with children who had
been injured. Another worked with thirty children at S'pundu and visited
the Kokstad Hospital on their way back. The following day the teams
worked with about sixty children at Tutyini and Mceba. “What impressed
us greatly," says Cecil, “was the spirit of ubuntu in action – people
working together for the sake of the larger group, for example, women
cooking food for all the helpers. Also the generosity and bravery of so
many of the children and young people who had helped other children and
old people during the tornado." Child and youth care worker Nomsa
Mandoyi says: “Some of the children felt guilty at not being able to
help their grandparents, parents, siblings and pets. Nevertheless they
have both courage and generosity in being willing to share their
experience with others." Said colleague Nomonde Dingiswayo: “Some of the
children in hospital were so injured and traumatised. I felt strong
because they were strong enough to talk about what they had lost. It was
very sad to hear from a nine-year-old how her twin brother had died. I
feel better because we were able to offer help."
