By Kelvin Kimoni
Peer counsellors at the Eldoret National Polytechnic have expressed their gratitude to the administration for organizing a training session for them.
Led by Lindah Khamala, one of the students trained, the peer counsellors said they are now fully equipped for the role.
According to Lindah, the session helped her understand the core values of peer counselling.
“I just want to say thank you to the administration for organizing this event. We have learned a lot since day one, and I also appreciate the good meals provided for us,” she said.
The session was conducted for three days at the polytechnic’s Hospitality Institution Management (HIM).
One of the key issues emphasized during the session was confidentiality. The Gen Z counsellors were urged not to disclose or share their clients’ concerns with others.
They were also encouraged to refer clients to more experienced counsellors if they were unable to handle certain cases.
Faith Chelagat, an applied science student and peer counsellor, assured students that their confidential information would be safe in the hands of counsellors, encouraging them to open up.
She emphasized that if a case was beyond her capability, she would refer the client to a more experienced counsellor rather than gossiping about it.
“What I can tell them is that they should have confidence in us because we will keep their secrets and not share them with anyone. Confidentiality is key in guidance and counselling,” Faith Chelagat said during an interview.
Challenges facing Eldoret National Polytechnic peer counselors
However, the counsellors highlighted a major challenge in executing their duties.
Charity Samoi, secretary of the polytechnic’s peer counselling club, pointed out the need for a designated counselling office.
She explained that having a private space for counselling would enhance clients’ confidence and encourage them to seek help without fear of embarrassment.
“What I would like to request from the administration is an office where clients can feel comfortable, as counselling in an open space may discourage them from speaking freely,” said Charity.
