Equipping lay facilitators to support emotionally wounded children in Africa by means of healing communities

Abstract

Many children in Africa are emotionally wounded by circumstances and experiences not supporting their overall well-being and healthy development, and are in need of effective support. It seems that the church’s educational ministry and pastoral care based on individualistic pastoral practices do not address this need effectively. Beginning with an orientation to the problem, the article then focused on the development of lay facilitators for healing communities as an alternative way of ministering to children who experience emotional suffering. With reference to an illustrative narrative of a camp with deprived children, some elements contributing to the success of the camp were highlighted and linked to the effective functioning of healing communities. Thereafter the process used to equip lay people to facilitate such healing communities was described. The article concluded with challenges to the church in Africa to develop a new ministry to serve emotionally wounded children. In Afrika is daar talle emosioneel gekweste kinders wie se omstandighede en ervarings nie tot hulle welsyn en gesonde ontwikkeling bydra nie. Hierdie kinders het ’n intense behoefte aan genesing. Dit wil egter voorkom of die kerk se opvoedkundig-georiënteerde bediening aan kinders en die individualistiese pastorale praktyk nie daarin slaag om effektief aan hierdie behoefte te voldoen nie. Nadat daar oorsigtelik na die probleem gekyk is, fokus die artikel op die ontwikkeling van ongekwalifiseerde lidmate as fasiliteerders in genesende gemeenskappe as ’n alternatiewe benadering om emosioneel gekweste kinders te bedien. Met verwysing na ’n illustratiewe uitbeelding van ’n kamp vir emosioneel gekweste kinders, word sommige elemente wat tot die sukses van die kamp bygedra het, uitgelig. Hierdie elemente word dan aan die effektiewe funksionering van genesende gemeenskappe verbind. Daarna word die opleidingsproses vir fasiliteerders van sulke groepe bespreek. Die artikel sluit af deur die kerk in Afrika tot ’n nuwe bedieningspraktyk uit te daag.