Fountain of Hope Counsellors, a group of students from the National University of Lesotho under the Spiritual Care and Counselling programme of the faculty of humanities, are giving back to the community by providing free counselling services.
This group of young goal oriented counsellors is made up of students who have completed the third year of their studies and are approaching their final year this academic year.
These students have taken it upon themselves to sensitize the public on mental illness and the importance of counselling in order to combat mental illnesses. They say they have noted that a sizeable chunk of the Basotho society, at one stage or another, experiences trials and tribulations, some of which are hard to deal with hence their decision to provide free counselling sessions.
In an interview with theReporter, a representative of Fountain of Hope Counsellors group Moroesi Mokhali, said a lot of youngsters are facing psychological issues of different forms.
“Talking to counsellors about these issues is one of the best therapies, but counselling services are too expensive and out of their reach. Many Basotho are not aware of the significance of counselling in their lives.
“We too need the government to support us, to realize that like other professions, counselling too is relevant and essential. We wish the government could invest in counsellors because they play a vital role that has a potential to positively impact lives and the nation at large.
“We felt that a great deal of people needed this, especially the youth. After realising that most of our youngsters go through a lot of challenges that could affect their mental health, we took it upon ourselves to intervene and help,” Mokhali said.
As part of their awareness creation drive, they have been going out to different media outlets to let people know that they are offering these services to those that need them.
They do not have an office, and operate from wherever they are; they are on call to attend anyone instantly. They are willing and happy to come to their clients.
“The sky is the limit, as far as we are concerned. Our goal is to one day have their own institution that will assist everyone,” she concluded.
