Counselling in Rural Areas

People in rural areas of Western Kenya do not embrace privacy in their community set  up except for a few who have fenced by use of barbed wire, cypress trees or some kind of shrubs for demarcation purposes. The people do not view fencing as a way of enhancing security but a way of pride and isolation from the community especially if one puts up a perimeter  wall and a gate. The culture of open living has made individuals to live in the glare of the populace where there is no privacy.

Given the nature of the set up, it makes it really hard to introduce the subject of psychological counselling and creation of therapy rooms. The only time therapy is mentioned, it is associated with alcoholism and drug abuse where only the elites would procure such services and definitely not from the rural set up.  Everything has an interpretation traditionally and through religion. Scientific views are yet to be embraced not just in matters mental health but every other form of discomfort. Women have social welfare groups where they share amongst themselves the perceived challenges and offer each other comfort, if a matter is grave, the recommendations are to seek divine intervention or traditional healers.

The strenuous life challenges in urban setups where one can't manage without money, in the face of challenges in rural areas, hardly would you find a household without the basic needs for they can borrow from the neighbors and some areas they have communal water projects accessed at no fee. The loneliness and sorrow that might make it stressful for lack of basics does not wear one down as it would in urban settings. Individuals especially women would go by without the mental strain on life challenges. In educating their children, they would settle for day schools and work with the various bursaries allocated by the government.

The youth on the other hand flow according to their parents associations and the influence from schools they attend also based on the performance. Most of them lack of self efficacy, emotional and social intelligence and some yield to peer pressure to engaging in drug abuse and alcoholism. Given the community set up, it becomes difficult for the youth to seek help. In the first instance they shall be victims of' mob justice" from the village given the set up for there shall be no room for assessing the underlying issues. This has destroyed many youths even before they get a chance of getting any kind of help. some run away because of the shame which leads to street families and gang formations.

The men entrenched in traditional practices where they have to be strong and courageous at all times as the head of the families. Emotional expression has no place in their society rather they seek the counsel of the elders concerning any weighty matters even if they relate to mental health issues that would require therapy. the frustrations have led to gender based violence and economic distress to their families with the women taking it as a normal behavior within a marriage.