Home-Based Care Workers Learn Counseling Skills
Posted by: Erin Kambenja on November 10, 2011 | Staff Blog
Home-based care workers (HBCs), volunteers who care for the critically ill in the villages, from about 25 villages gathered together as we kicked off our first workshop aimed at educating them about various issues they may face in the field. This first workshop was on the subject of human development and basic counseling. These workers are constantly working with patients who may be very depressed because of their condition and are looking for a listening ear. The HBCs are in the perfect position to provide counseling to someone in a desperate situation.
We started to training with the word of God emphasizing the fact that God cares about the suffering and oppressed and that their job is not overlooked by God himself. We continued by teaching about how humans develop and the important stages they much pass through, values and ethics of counseling, and counseling skills.
After the training we received comments such as, “this was so helpful” and “I can’t wait to share this information with my niece”. One of the HBCs who volunteers in the local clinic said that they had been trained about counseling before, but it was not in the language that they could understand so this training was very well put together and so helpful for them. Now they understand the basics of counseling and development. Educating the HBCs in these subjects not only helps them to counsel and reach out to those who are sick or suffering, but it gives us a chance to share the word of God so that they can apply it to their lives. We praise God for this opportunity to educate the community and we look forward to the next workshop!
About Erin Kambenja
Job Title: LIFE Community Coordinator/Social Worker
Location: Livingstone, Zambia
Spouse: Watson Kambenja
Bio:
Erin grew up in South Lake Tahoe, California. God put a passion for missions and Africa in her heart from the beginning of her relationship with him. She studied social work in college and received a BSW and an MSW in order to use it on the mission field.
She first traveled to Africa in 2005 on a short-term mission trip and after finishing her Bachelor’s degree, returned to Africa to live in Zambia for a year. She worked with another organization organizing a child sponsorship program and volunteering in the community of Livingstone. After returning to the U.S. for one year to complete her MSW, she came back to Zambia and worked with a small orphanage which eventually led her to the Overland Missions and the LIFE Project where a social worker was needed. Erin has been volunteering with the LIFE Project since 2010. She attended AMT in May 2010 and is now very happy to be part of the staff.
She is married to Watson, a Zambian nurse, and they are very excited to spend their life in Zambia serving those in need of hope.
