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Careline Celebrates 14 Years of Counselling Service |
The Gift of the Givers Careline Counselling, one of the 25 projects of the Gift of the Givers Foundation, celebrated 14 years of service to the community this May month.
Director, Zohra Sooliman, recounted it's growth from inception in 1997 where it started exclusively as a telephone and face-to-face service. She expressed her deepest appreciation to the volunteer counsellors for their exceptional dedication, commitment and compassion as they reach out to individuals who experience challenges of all kind.
Counselling is offered to indviduals ie. adults and children, couples and families. The kind of issues experienced are marital and relationship issues, child abuse, substance abuse, domestic violence issues, dealing with loss and grief, children experiening learning and behaviour difficulties, various kinds of trauma and the list goes on. People from all race groups, cultures and religions have benefitted from the Gift of the Givers Careline Counselling.
One is unable to measure success or document the positive effects of this kind of intervention. Often the voice on the other side of the handset is unknown and people who come in personally will not be seen again after several sessions once they have worked through their issues. However monitoring and evaluation carried out periodically indicate that individuals do feel supported and are enabled to move on having gained useful tools.
As case-load increased they were able to identify specific areas of need and tailor make the programme to address the most prevalent issues. To date apart from offering counselling, the organisation conducts training for volunteer counsellors utilising a formidable team of specialists from various institutions including the likes of the University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN). It is a recognised organisation where Honours students in Psychology and Social Work carry out their internships to acquire the practical competency. In addition it offers support groups in specific areas such as “Women in difficult relationships” and “Working through grief in adults and children” to mention a few. Various in-house and public workshops and trainings are conducted thereby not only increasing the capacity of it's volunteers but also educating or bringing about awareness in the community. The organisation understands that whilst the volunteers have come forward to extend support to others they are frequently challenged in life themselves. To this end particular focus is given to the psychological and emotional development of it's volunteer counsellors. It believes that in order for their external clients to be satisfied, their internal clients (volunteers) must be well taken care of first.
The organisation was visited for the second time consecutively by students in Social Science and Humanities from Florida State University. This inter dialogue has been mutually rewarding. Sooliman recollects with pride when she talks about the counsellors, some of whom are there from inception. These are ordinary people, primarily women, who have made an extra ordinary contribution to the lives of others. People come through the door to ask how can they help to make a difference in the lives' of others but once they become active members, realise how their own lives change for the better and how they grow. Sooliman says this is a 'work of Heart', not a work of art.
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