Berea District Child Protection Team gives Psychosocial Support to Students
Berea District Child Protection Team gives Psychosocial Support to Students
Berea District Child Protection Team (DCPT) gave children aged between 10-17, a Psychosocial Support at Holy Names High School in Bela-Bela within Kueneng constituency, on the 15th September 2021. The selected students were from Holy Names High School, St. Theresa Primary School, Bela-Bela Primary School and Mokomahatsi Primary School.
On behalf of DCPT, World Vision Child Protection Facilitator; Mr. Kabelo Kelepa indicated that DCPT was formed by members from several Government Ministries and Non-Governmental Organizations, that deal with issues that concern children, whereby, the Ministry of Social Development is the secretariat of the DCPT,
He indicated that, one of the responsibilities of the District Child Protection Team is to support children by giving skills regarding decision making, giving them counselling in relation to abuse experienced and the channels reporting it. Therefore, it is important to build resilience and provide skills to children on how overcome challenges
He further said they have not fully given Psychosocial Support to every child, as they come across number children at different times with dissimilar backgrounds, however, he said they try by almost all means to support children on challenges they come across.
One Ms. Blossom Ramakatane from the Ministry of Education, stated that the motive behind the gathering, was to educate the students about abuse, both within the communities they live in as well as at schools, and empower them self defence mechanisms. She highly appreciates the support, as teachers spend five days in a week with these children but the issues concerning them beyond school perimeters, we do not know them fully, therefore having DCPT, to create this kind of awareness make us to realise and support children even beyond.
A student participant from Holy Names High School, Neo Mpobole said she had learned much from DCPT regarding forms of abuse and where to report it. She outlined that they were given 116 Child Helpline, which they can freely call at anytime they need to report abuse from wherever
they are. Neo also mentioned that they were not aware that some of the forms could be sings of abuse, but they confirmed through the Psychosocial Support, as parents seem to overlook some of the practices while grooming their children.