New counsellors graduate

22 May 2016, 12:00AM

After five days of lectures, group works and discussions, they could finally hold their certifications in their hands. 

With the completion of the workshop that was initialised by Nuanua o le Alofa, the disability advocacy organisation in Samoa, and coordinated by sociologist Pei Tau’ili’ili Reupena, the sixteen participants have all reasons to be proud of themselves.

They have learnt how to help other people with special needs and how to solve problems that might occur in their own environment, but also in the one the will prepare others for.

“It was a really good experience for us,” said Matua Masaga, who along with the other attendees at Hotel Moanalisa in Vaitele successfully finished the training on Friday.

“Now we can help others in the function of a counsellor. It was by no means a small training that we had the chance to participate in, but an important one. We learnt the foundations of helping and supporting others in these five days here.”

Another participant Nuufou Mosi. As a visually challenged person, Nuufou found it important to learn how she can help other people with disabilities. 

“It is so important that there are people who know how to help others in a professional way. We deal with living people. Therefor we had to learn so many things which help to appreciate these people and to make their live a better one to some extent.”

The five-day long training did also provide the participants with better management skills concerning the work with other disabled people.

 “A big part of our workshop was also about how the planning should be done. Because the planning makes up the foundation of our work, but there’s also the spiritual side of the work as well as the dealing with isolation, for which we were prepared very well during these five days.” Now, with the official certificate as a counsellor for people with special needs, the training’s participants are ready for their future work. 

“It is certainly not easy to be a counsellor, but we learnt so much from our coordinator and I am sure with these things in mind, we will be able to do a good job,” Nu’ufou Mosi explained. 

22 May 2016, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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