A child does not always tell the truth in counselling. They use
different names, do not want to tell where their family is from, etc. It is a
big challenge for our counsellors.
The children who are in Malimbe have to go home during the holidays. The
idea is that usually it is possible for a short period for them to be at home,
they will have become more resilient during their stay with us and the burden
on the family is not so big. We want them to stay in contact with the family as
our end goal is to reunite them at some point. However not everybody can go
home, sometimes we really cannot find the family. This child will have to go to
the Back Home House during the holidays. They are not always happy about this
as they feel they do not belong with these street children.
A boy who has been with us a long time is facing this issue. Let’s call
him Charley. His father is a refugee from Rwanda and cannot be found, his
mother is a drunk who roams the street. Hem is always said when he has to go to
BHH because, as he says with tears in his eyes “I do not have a family”.
Recently he told our counsellor that he could remember an aunty. He had
mentioned before a family where his mother used to work, so the counsellor
asked if she was really his aunty or if it was this family. No, he assured, it
was really his aunty. So they went together to this family. They were welcomed
with open arms. When the counsellor mentioned that she was bringing him home
for the holidays the atmosphere changed. The boy was sent outside to play and
then the lady told our counsellor that she is not related to the boy at all. It
turned out that they were the family where his mother used to work. After our
counsellor explained the situation and told them about how this boy really was
looking forward to spending the holidays in a real family and how his behaviour
had improved, they decided to open their house to him and keep him for the
holidays. I was very happy when I heard this as the boy has a special place in
my heart.
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten