Learners still welcome at support centre

MIDRAND – Midrand Police Stations' Victim Empowerment Centre impacts the learners of Blue Hills College.

June 21, 2019

Ofentse Ditlopo 1 minute read

Carolyn Halhead (trauma counseling), Pravi Naidoo (trauma counseling), Desiree Govender(head of trauma and debriefing), Bekithemba Ndlovu( principal of Blue Hills College), Linda Padachey (trauma counseling), Leboge Matlala (trauma counseling), Gracious Shabangu (trauma counseling) and Phumulani Sibanda (vice Principal of Blue Hills College) stand at the college entrance. Photo: Christine Delport

After weeks of empowering learners and helping them to deal with their personal problems, Midrand Police Station’s Victim Empowerment Centre (VEC) said their goodbyes at the end of their counselling programme at Blue Hills College.

The programme was implemented after a drug search was conducted by Midrand police with the assistance of the centre at the school.

Principal Bekithemba Ndlovu then approached the centre to assist his learners as they discovered most of them had challenges which resulted in drug-use.

Speaking on behalf of the centre, counsellor Desiree Govender said, “In this 10-week-long process, VEC assigned six counsellors to the school to help the learners develop attitudes and skills surrounding planning, decision making, personal responsibility regarding cause and effect of their actions, engaging in positive behavior, conflict resolution and more.”

Govender concluded that the counselling need not end because some of the learners have formed a relationship with their counsellor, so the centre’s doors are open for them at the police station.

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