Psychosocial Care to Children

Psychosocial Care to Children

I was invited to spend a day at a training session on psychosocial care conducted by the Monitoring and Evaluation officer, Ferdinand,  of IDF with a group of 23 women and several small children.  I would like to share with you my impressions of the workshop.

Before the workshop, I was asked a very interesting question.  ‘In Canada, which is worse, cancer or HIV AIDS.’  I could only answer from personal observation and reading.  I said that I felt  HIV AIDS can be managed with antiretroviral drugs and that some types of cancer are very difficult.  I said I felt both needed early detection and aggressive management.  What do you think of my answer?  Now for their next question, ‘Can cancer be prevented?’  Such good questions!

Because this was the second day of the workshop, once the women gathered (that took awhile), they were asked what they learned at the first day of the workshop.  Persons responded one by one as follows (in their words):  How to control my anger; Feed the child before child goes to school each day; Shelter is a fundamental right of a child; Cancer can be beaten;  Protect the child against violence and child abuse; Home should be a safe place, once not a safe place the child cannot function well;  Sexual abuse is not fair, Sexual abuse  before age of 18 is a crime punishable by law; Being cared for and not neglected is a fundamental right.  .   Behind comments being made, one can ascertain societal problems, statements like: Need to send the child to school;  Child needs a balanced diet; Bring the child along in a good faith so they won’t be prone to a new idea that is not good.   Take the children as friends so they will have a listening ear to your advice, all statements from the participants in relation to their learning from the previous day.

As Day Two of the training progressed, I continually reflected on the course content and how it was needed through my years of teaching.  I did not have this training as a teacher although we as Family Studies and Health educators  used to set up workshops to help each other with teaching materials .   What I am saying here is how progressive this training is!   I felt it to be well adapted to the cultural setting.  

The day’s first topic, Physical Needs of the Child began with the basics.  Only when you love can you support a child.  Give peace a chance.  Grow closer to the person.  We weren’t long getting into the problems faced.  Question:  What do you do when a child is raped?  The steps were clearly outlined: First, go to the hospital immediately, before going to the police.  A proper investigation needs to be done.  The life of the child is threatened.   The hospital will confirm, police will investigate. Gone are the days when rape was a taboo topic.  The child’s mind must be rebuilt.  HIV AIDS, Venereal  Disease, the child’s future is in jeopardy.   A report must be made so the child will receive counselling.  An environment needs to be build to avoid abuse.  Refer to the next person for proper action.  IDF handles difficult cases.  The participants in the  training  were identified as team members.  Don’t let 24 hours go by they were told.  Call immediately day or night while the child is in hospital.  Caution, sometimes police do not follow up.  Copy of the report should go to IDF, Plan and Social Affairs:  avoid bribe of police!  Think about an 11 year old girl pregnant-father age 40- well traumatized!   Child abuse  is everyone’s responsibility.     

A role play by the participants was enacted to show how trust, safety, confidentially should be built to help a child report sexual abuse:   What brought you here?  It’s alright to cry.  Keep the secret.  Avoid promising something you can’t give.  Let them tell the story.  Listen.  Take seriously.  Avoid why. Allow the child to tell the story.  Don’t argue, don’t preach, don’t impose, don’t give advice, give accurate and useful advice:  only encourage.    Let them talk.  Encourage hope.  Take to relevant authority.  Want to journey to a safe place.  Want to remove the event from the child’s mind.  Overcome the crowding of the mind-don’t want a grumbling mind.  (Don’t you love their expressions?)  Anger can destroy.  Want to avoid the negative diseases of the body, the spill over effect of anger:  depression and despair where a person cannot take initiative.  Aim is to overcome. 

At this point a participant said they were falling asleep and could they dance!  So, out came the drums ,(one is beautifully carved with the Plan logo set into the drum), another  a large gourd shaker and more).  They love to dance and sing and I love to listen and film!  Ferdinand has written a song that encapsulates the needs of children.  We hope to make utube.  Ferdinand told them they would now go International!

On to another heavy topic.  Disclosure.  Children, upon being told they are HIV positive, have committed suicide.  The mind must be prepared.  In hospitals, space must be occupied by professionals. Please refer to the next person who can handle the situation.   The world does not end.  There is hope.  Aim to have the child be able to say....’I am HIV positive, I take my drugs every day,  I am healthy!’  ‘I am useful, I can handle the situation.”  Watch for lost interest, tired always, withdrawal, always expressing anger.

Advice was given:  Teachers, don’t invite children to come and do housework.  Teacher relationship ends in the classroom.  (There have been a number of cases where students have been invited to a teacher’s house on pretense and the student was taken advantage of by the teacher.)  More advice:  Break the Silence, even if it is your husband.  Don’t protect the person.  Report abuse.  Share the knowledge.  She’s light for everybody.  Transform community.   Document.  Make recommendations to address the situation. 

Credos to Plan for the training program and to IDF for its implementation!   Too bad the program will end in one year.  The needs are so great.  Physical needs are one thing but unless the mind is cared for, where are we?