Sangomas To Counsel Students

Lycanthrope

Lycanthrope

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Durban - Traditional healers and sangomas will be on call to attend to the needs of African students attending the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

The Mercury reported on Monday that the "indigenous counselling" initiative would complement Western forms of counselling provided by the Student Counselling Centre.

It said plans are under way to build traditional huts for the healers, following a proposal by the deputy dean of students Bheki Ncgobo.

"The need for indigenous healers to diagnose illnesses, prescribe and prepare herbal medicine, provide counselling and offer spiritual support cannot be overemphasised," Ncgobo was quoted as saying.

He said that the project should be seen in the context of "reclaiming our heritage".

"Indigenous counselling attempts to restore the African way of life, primarily to African students. As an institution that upholds African values, we are endeavouring to bring the suppressed culture to students," he said.

The proposal says that many students, primarily African students, experienced problems that required the special skills of traditional healers.

The Mercury reported that "some of the problems experienced by students included being possessed, being chosen by ancestors to stop formal education to be trained as a traditional healer, being unable to concentrate on studies owing to bad spirits or spirits that required purification and cleansing, and madness caused by bad spirits that needed to be exorcised".

Ngcobo's proposal says that an initial sum of R20 000 would be set aside for the project from the Student Development Fund.

It is envisaged that each consultation would cost R20 a student.

A sangoma, who has been practising at the university's Howard College in Durban, told the Mercury that more than 250 students had come to her for help since her arrival a few weeks ago.
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Source: News24.

I find this a bit odd. Thoughts?
 
It would be nice to move out of the bronze age.
 
I've only witnessed one case of this while at varsity. Had a friend (from Centane, Transkei) who had health problems and used the services of a Traditional Healer. Seemed to have worked for him.
 
What is the problem now?

If you're comfortable with western counseling or therapy - go there. If you'd prefer traditional therapy - now you've got that option.
 
As university students they should know better. This probably says a lot about the quality of education received at UKZN. No offence to anybody there.
chiskop said:
What is the problem now?

If you're comfortable with western counseling or therapy - go there. If you'd prefer traditional therapy - now you've got that option.
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Unproven, traditional remedies may have side effects that are not clearly defined. My gripe is that it may cause harm, even though the intentions may be good.

edit: I realise that this only refers to counselling, but counselling will often lead to treatment.
 
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none taken :(

Just makes me feel like my degree is worth 1 degree less.. :confused:

Sure the others who studied at ukzn feel the same... (well at least the ones that r there to 'earn' a degree.. not strike and toi-toi for 1)
 
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Highflyer_GP said:
As university students they should know better. This probably says a lot about the quality of education received at UKZN. No offence to anybody there.


Unproven, traditional remedies may have side effects that are not clearly defined. My gripe is that it may cause harm, even though the intentions may be good.

edit: I realise that this only refers to counselling, but counselling will often lead to treatment.
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Yeah - like you say its counseling. There are many reasons why traditional counseling might be preferable - language for one.

But really I don't understand what the problem? No-one is being forced to go to counseling that they don't want. If you're not interested in traditional counseling then don't go. But it may help some people who are not comfortable with western-type counseling - where's the harm in that?
 
chiskop said:
Yeah - like you say its counseling. There are many reasons why traditional counseling might be preferable - language for one.

But really I don't understand what the problem? No-one is being forced to go to counseling that they don't want. If you're not interested in traditional counseling then don't go. But it may help some people who are not comfortable with western-type counseling - where's the harm in that?
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Fair point.

I guess I don't have a problem with the counselling itself, I do however have a problem where traditional healing methods and remedies are involved.
 
Highflyer_GP said:
As university students they should know better. This probably says a lot about the quality of education received at UKZN. No offence to anybody there.


Unproven, traditional remedies may have side effects that are not clearly defined. My gripe is that it may cause harm, even though the intentions may be good.

edit: I realise that this only refers to counselling, but counselling will often lead to treatment.
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There is mention of prescribing and preparing traditional medicine and that mud huts will be slopped together. It won't be long before an increase in the number violated virgins in the campus showers increases :sick:
 
my 2 cents. If a student goes there instead of to a real doctor, I would question his competence as a professional.

How is allowing traditional healers who prescribe drugs to cure AIDS going to help the student population in any way? Goodbye 50% infection rate, here comes 70%.

They are taking money which could instead employ real doctors and pissing it away.

Is this an AA/BEE thing again? No white sangomas exist therefore lets only employ sangomas and no real doctors because they happen to be white.

How is the 'African why of life' a feasible idea if you have a western education, a professional education.
 
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The Mercury reported that "some of the problems experienced by students included being possessed, being chosen by ancestors to stop formal education to be trained as a traditional healer, being unable to concentrate on studies owing to bad spirits or spirits that required purification and cleansing, and madness caused by bad spirits that needed to be exorcised".
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Where does it say these guys are there to cure AIDS? Who are we to question ones culture? They probably wont cure all the problems but for psychological/relationship problems R20 is a helluva lot cheaper than a shrink.
 
Fudzy said:
Where does it say these guys are there to cure AIDS? Who are we to question ones culture? They probably wont cure all the problems but for psychological/relationship problems R20 is a helluva lot cheaper than a shrink.
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Yeah, the difference is that a shrink won't .. er.. egg them on about being possessed by ancestors or whatever. For R20, they're paying rent for psychosis.
 
You're right. Making you believe you're mother is to blame for all your problems and then putting you on a course of addictive anti-depressants is SUCH a better option. It comes down to your beliefs, I doubt a sangoma would be able to convincingly help anyone here, myself included. But if you are of heritage that puts their faith in these 'healers' then its a case of mind over matter. I'm sure even Western 'healers' would agree the first thing you need to heal is the right mindset.
 
lsuacner said:
my 2 cents. If a student goes there instead of to a real doctor, I would question his competence as a professional.
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Do you also question the competence of those with different religious beliefs to yours? Or different cultural beliefs?

So if I find psychotherapy is useful for me, but that psychiatry promotes a reliance on drugs and is not useful for me - should I question the competence / professionalism of someone that goes to a psychiatrist?

I cannot understand what's to get upset about here. Either you find it useful and make use of the new services, or you don't find it useful and it has absolutely no effect on your life.
 
Fudzy said:
You're right. Making you believe you're mother is to blame for all your problems and then putting you on a course of addictive anti-depressants is SUCH a better option. It comes down to your beliefs, I doubt a sangoma would be able to convincingly help anyone here, myself included. But if you are of heritage that puts their faith in these 'healers' then its a case of mind over matter. I'm sure even Western 'healers' would agree the first thing you need to heal is the right mindset.
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And adding conviction to a person's belief that the sky is green assists in healing the "right mindset?"

Look, don't get me wrong - I'm all for cultural differences, but I just find it a bit intimidating when people start catering to certain people's psychosis instead of providing affordable Western means of alleviating psychological disorders based around the belief that you're possessed by your father's uncle's great grandfather.

Oh, and somehow anti-depressants seem so much more stomachable in comparison to whatever organs and crap go into 'mooti' - assuming we're talking about traditional African sangomas.
 
chiskop said:
I cannot understand what's to get upset about here. Either you find it useful and make use of the new services, or you don't find it useful and it has absolutely no effect on your life.
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I just asked for thoughts. I said I found it odd, originally because it's a strange concept to me that such a thing seems viable. If it works out, great - as long as it doesn't cause more harm than good.
 
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