By Mashamba Media
news@alexreporter.co.za
On Monday, an exceptional 280 Gauteng Department of Health, Wellness staff and EMS (Emergency Medical Services) and traditional healers graduated from a skills development program called Tools for Life delivered at Castle Kyalami by the Scientology Volunteer Ministers.
This is part of an employee wellness and empowerment partnership between the Gauteng Health and the Scientology Volunteer Ministers. Endorsed by the MEC of Gauteng Health and Wellness, the partnership aims at assisting Health workers deal with work related stress, burnouts, conflicts, anxiety and more.
The recent graduates come from Gauteng Health and Wellness, Emergency Medical Services, Chaplaincy and Faith Based Organizations who are affected by what they face every day.
They all trained very hard to learn those very timely practical skills that would help them deal better with the trauma they face daily on the frontlines.
They learned social and spiritual support, basic counselling and life skills including assists for Illnesses and Injuries, How To Resolve Conflicts, Poverty Alleviation, Youth Empowerment, Tackling Learning Barriers, Improving The Quality of Education, Communication, Business Ethics, Improving Self-Confidence, How to Achieve Goals, Successful Relations, Public Relations, Financial Ethics, Overcoming Drug Abuse and many more needed to be successful in improving the current conditions that plague our country.
“This training was very important to us. It reignited that spark we had when we first walked into this profession. We see so much trauma on a daily basis that ends up affecting us in all dynamics of our lives.
” I am glad that I attended this training because now I have the tools to tackle these daily issues and it makes me more productive,” said one of the graduates.
The more than 280 graduates of the Department of Health join more than a 1000 before them, who have completed this training and reported that it has brought change in their lives.
Concerned about the amount of trauma faced by those who provide succor to the society, the MEC’s office decided to collaborate with the Scientology Volunteer Ministers in empowering Gauteng Health staff with practical life skills they can use to improve conditions.
“Graduating this program is no small accomplishment. People all over the world have benefitted from this. They join thousands of other South Africans who are using these skills and taking action to better Mzansi. Their application of these skills and successes make the important point that these simple but powerful skills work.
“This partnership with the Department of Health is an example of the great deeds we can achieve when we work together to tackle the issues of society,” said Sandile Hlayisi, Chairperson of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers who conducted these training sessions.
Opening the ceremony with words of encouragement, Hlayisi said, “Empowering people to take action is the first essential step towards achieving real community development. It is with great pride that we recognize the graduates who fully trained and who have completed this Skills Development program.
“In the words of the late Nelson Mandela ‘Let your greatness blossom’ you have now been equipped with more skills to assist you in your heroic duties.”
One of the graduates who oversees operations in Ekurhuleni said, “This is what we needed in our Department. I have seen firsthand the amazing results that this programme brings. I have seen families mend broken relationships, marriages restored, parents rescuing their children from the clutches of drugs and more just by using what we learned. I am eternally grateful for this knowledge.”
A previous graduate who is the Secretary General of the Gauteng Faith Based Organization, Pastor Abel Mahachi, said “I was struggling to deal with marital issues and with this training I was literally able to salvage 2 marriages and I helped them to resolve that conflict and today they are happy.
“This training has helped me to bring a practical solution in solving problems. I have learned how to become a better person, better leader, how to handle church conflicts and community conflicts. This has sharpened my skills as a leader and I thank the Scientology Volunteer Ministers for that.”
Hlayisi concluded if people work together more can be achieved. The Scientology Volunteer Ministers and the Department of Health and Wellness have so far trained over 700 in this free Skills Development Program written by L. Ron Hubbard and they are thrilled to see the broad improvement created by this training in the community.