Botswana: Kweneng District Council has started a grief and counselling team to help the people of the country in dealing with the loss of their family and loved ones. The initiative was put together by the authorities after the news of the devastating loss of 45 lives in a bus crash.
The bus consisting of a delegation of Christians was travelling from Botswana to South Africa for the Easter weekend celebration. On the way to the destination, the car fell off the road and killed all the passengers aboard the vehicle with the exception of a minor.
The Council Secretary Olebile Kgollo Mafala has taken the initiative to address the situation. He indicated that the district established a response team ahead of the tragic incident.
According to the council secretary the response team comprises of social workers from Kweneng and other neighbouring districts. The partnering district include (Mogoditshane/Thamaga and Letlhakeng).
The social workers who were a part of the response team are trained in loss and grief management. The district is also working on a backup plan in the event that there is a shortage of social workers for the initiative.
The administration claimed that other social workers will be picked from nearby hospitals and Botswana Police. The team will also have Psychologists to manage Psychological breakdowns.
Suspected affected families were addressed and briefed in the Council Chamber. The initiative was taken by the people on Saturday. According to the official reports, the 17 individuals broke down and were managed accordingly by the professionals.
Further, on Sunday, the District has embarked on needs assessment and profiling exercise in Molepolole. At the district the authorities have profiled 18 households with 150 members who would most likely need psycho social support interventions.
The Botswana Police Force is currently conducting DNA Tests which will help the response team in moving forward in their mandate. The process will continue on Monday after the DNA results have been communicated.
The authorities have conducted profiling and needs assessments to guide interventions that the family may need. In the process, some families clarified that they need the psycho social support along with some other services.
The people of Kweneng District have appreciated the actions of the Council Secretary Olebile Kgollo Mafala in addressing the disasterous situation. They believe that he has handled the situation in a very different and better manner than his predecessors.