Counselling Sessions helped Khurshid to cope with her negative behaviour
"When I used to fight with my brothers and friends, I used to be rude and couldn't control my anger, but after a few minutes I would feel remorseful and tormented," said 13-year-old Khurshid*, who suffered from the habit of getting angry and angry excessively, responding to even minor issues.
She did not like to be among the people; she always wanted to be alone and for that reason she didn’t have many friends.
But everything was changed for her in a few months. “A counseling session in PSS (Psychosocial Support) Centre changed my life,” she said.
PSS Centre suggests an environment where participants make new friends, take counseling sessions with PSS counselors, get access to toys and playing opportunities and most importantly learn life skills such as: making decisions, controlling anger and stress, building self-confidence, building trust, and other essential skills.
With the AHF funds, World Vision, under Protecting Conflict-Affected Children and Families Project, established PSS Centre in Ghor Province. By the end of this project 13,800 individuals were reached through different activities such as: case management, cases referring, PSS counselling sessions, like skills sessions, parenting sessions and distribution of PSS kits.
After joining PSS center, Khurshid requested a counselling session with a PSS counselor. In her first individual PSS counselling session, she realised that she must change one of her negative habits of getting angry. “As I left the counseling room, I made the decision to control my anger and emotions,” she says. “My teacher [counselor] helped me find the reason of not having friends and that is my bad habit [of getting angry].”
PSS Centre transforms lives as it happened with Khurshid’s. Now, Khurshid likes to talk and have fun with others rather than being quiet and serious as she used to be. “I am happier now and enjoy my life more than I did in the past. I love being with my friends, playing with them and talking to them,” she said with a smiling face.
With limited financial resources, her family, like many other families in Afghanistan, could not afford buying her toys to play with. “One of the most favorite things for us in this centre is the toys and playing opportunities,” Khurshid continues, “We enjoy playing with these toys, and jump rope is my favorite game.”
According to UN-OCHA recent report, it is estimated that 20.3 million people need protection assistance in 2023. Lack of access to education (mainly for girls), unemployment, economic and health sectors collapse and three consecutive years of draught are the main drivers of protection need.
Khurshid wishes the number of these centres increase so that all children in their community have the opportunity to learn life skills, solve the problems that they are facing and live in a peaceful environment with happiness.
* Name is changed to protect the identity.