Nandi Hills Sub-County Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers, were on Monday taken through various methods of dealing with stress at workplace by the Peer Counselors Association Kenya (PCAK), in a bid to ensure psychological wellness among colleagues as well as pupils.
PCAK is a nationwide private organization, which was registered and incorporated in the year 2015 under the Societies Act, to equip peer counselors with ideas and skills that will promote peer counseling in Kenya.
Speaking at the event held at the Nandi East Deputy County Commissioner’s offices compound, PCAK regional coordinator Mercy Macharia said, ECDE teachers handle children who are at their formative stage thus play a key role in determining their psychological as well as their social fitness.
Macharia said that their organization is looking forward to carrying out trainings and sensitization in the 47 counties in Kenya as a way to curb homicide cases and reduce the number of depressed cases that have increased in the recent past thus ensure delivery at work places.
“We want to ensure the young generation are raised in a manner that promotes psychological fitness. This is why the main players who are the ECDE teachers need sensitization and trainings on stress management. With these skills children will be in a position to undertake their co- curricular activities successfully,” noted Macharia.
According to Macharia physical and emotional stress, when not managed lead to a burnout that results in depression and if still unmanaged can result in mental illness and even other more complicated disorders.
She noted that stress can lead to early aging, hypertension, impotence, suicide, and alcohol addiction among the many negative effects.
Nandi County PCAK chair Rev. Tedy Kisivuli on his part said that people should establish healthy social groups that discuss intellectual conversations as a way of managing stress.
Kisivuli also advised the audience to learn to share and talk about their problems with the people they trust rather than keeping to themselves.
“It is good to share problems but you should be careful on determining whom you can trust with your problems to avoid more stress,” he stated.
So far, PCAK has trained and sensitized over 300 ECDE teachers in Nandi County, while advising them to enroll for a certificate course in counselling to be able to deal with fellow colleagues as well as shape pupils at their tender age.
Present at the same event were ECDE County director Samuel Biwott and Nandi hills sub County ECDE assistant director Abigael Keter.
By Ruth Mainye
