Children and Family Breakdown - The Tearfund International ...

BY GLADYS MWITI,
FOUNDER
Churches should
be supportive
communities,
not only for the
membership
but also for the
geographical
location within
which they are
placed.
CHILDREN AT RISK GUIDELINES
Oasis Counselling Centre
and Training Institute
Nairobi, Kenya
ORGANISATION
Oasis Counselling Centre and Training Institute is an indigenous professional
counselling and training organisation founded by Gladys and Gershon Mwiti in
January 1990. Gladys is a Counselling Psychologist and her husband, Gershon, is a
Civil Engineer, called to Evangelism 18 years ago. The rest of the Oasis personnel
include a full-time staff of eight, a part-time training team of up to 25 professional
trainers and a Board of eight.
CONTEXT
Although Oasis began as a small organisation in Nairobi, Kenya, the work now is
appreciated by many in various parts of Africa and beyond. The motivation for such
a ministry came from the vast need in the Continent today with closely-bound
communities unravelling. As the extended family disintegrates and communities
scatter through people mobility and urbanisation, structures that once held people
together are giving way. The Church is then left as the main social group around which
people can seek belonging. However, many churches preach the Gospel but fail to
link God’s Word with a practical application for daily living. Many churches also do
not realise that they should be supportive communities, not only for the membership
but also for the geographical location within which they are placed.
Oasis desired from the onset to work with leadership and the community to offer skills
of care and counselling, especially for the most vulnerable among us – the children and
youth of Africa. Oasis tries to fill this vacuum with training seminars for church
leadership, community leadership, school heads, employers, married couples and parents,
raising awareness about some of the social challenges facing the people. There are also
invitations to schools, churches and the community, speaking on pertinent issues. For
example, school Parent Teacher Associations often request speakers on parent-child
relationships, child motivation, how to help children handle exam stress, use and abuse
of drugs and alcohol, career choices for children, etc. Churches will request seminars
on marriage and the family, retirement, financial management and stewardship, HIV
prevention, management and care, etc.
VOLUME 1: CHILDREN AND FAMILY BREAKDOWN
48