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While Islamic counseling services may have been unheard of some twenty years ago, today they are an integral part in the Muslim society in South Africa and play a vital role in assisting those whose cries for help previously went unanswered.
A trail blazer in the field is the Islamic Careline. The Islamic Careline — a counseling service affiliated to the Jamiatul Ulama Transvaal — has been in existence for more than thirteen years. What was founded on the strengths of three women — Suraiya Nawab, Sherbanu Sacoor, and Suraiya Moolla — has now become a fully-fledged office manned by a full-time staff of five and part- time volunteer staff of 20.
While Careline deals with all issues faced by any other such service, it is set apart by the many services it offers that are aimed at youth. One such initiative is the Muslim Aids Program (MAP). MAP has grown to such an extent that today it has its own offices that operate semi-independently from Careline.
Two programs are managed under the auspices of MAP. These programs are taught in schools that request them. The first of these is the Life Skills Program. The Life Skills Program runs over five weeks, with one session being conducted each week with a class. This program caters for students from Grade 1 until Grade 11.
The sessions cover the following topics:
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Self Esteem
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Effective communication
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HIV/AIDS awareness
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Goal Setting
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Decision Making
These sessions are very interactive and invite participation from the students throughout. The aim is to empower youth to make informed decisions through information that they have at their disposal. The results have been very heartening. Many schools have invited Careline back time and again to continue these sessions with new classes.
The second program run by MAP is the No Apologies Program. This program caters for Grade 12 students and the focus is on abstinence. The No Apologies Program covers the same topics that are dealt with in the Life Skills Program except that substance abuse becomes an added focus. Again the feedback received has been very encouraging.
A full morning program focusing on substance abuse alone is also run by Careline. In the current South African climate where substance abuse is becoming more and more widespread, this program is fulfilling a vital need.
A career guidance program is also offered to schools. This involves a discussion with students to assist them in choosing the right subjects when they get to grade 10, subjects that would be beneficial in whatever career path they select. Students fill out an optional assessment after which an appointment would be scheduled with Careline counselors, either at the school or at the Careline offices. Here guidance is offered and assistance given to help students decipher the career path that they are most suited to.
Careline also receives requests, from time to time, to give motivational and inspirational talks at schools. At these sessions, they field questions on marriage, challenges facing women in society, careers, et cetera.
Other youth initiatives are the sisters and brothers youth conferences. While every effort is made to hold these annually, always it is not always possible. The Sisters' Youth Conference is run by Jamiatul Ulama Transvaal in conjunction with Careline. The Brothers' Youth Conference has Jamiat alone at the helm, since almost all the Careline counselors are women.
The response to these events has been phenomenal. After the guest speakers at the conference discuss topics relevant to youth, such as education and Muslims, the role of Muslim women in contemporary society, and moral regeneration, plenary sessions are held and the talks are further explored.
The pre-marital workshop that was held last year proved to be quite popular too. This program involved lectures on marital rights and responsibilities and was followed by a lively question and answer session.
Newly-wed couples have the opportunity of attending the Marriage Preparation and Adaptation Program at Careline should they feel the necessity. The aim of this program is to assist couples to pinpoint potential for problems within a marriage before they occur as well as assist them in resolving problems in an amicable way. The couples explore issues like family dynamics, conflict resolution, and leisure issues among others. This program is invaluable at a time when divorce in new marriages has become all too common.
A novel approach to counseling for youth has been the advent of peer counseling. Peer counselors are normally youth in their early twenties. All youth who are referred or come to Careline for assistance are assigned peer counselors. Youth feel more at ease with people closer to their own age and are better able to open up and share their burden. Peer counselors are the kind of people that youth can identify with.
Issues dealt with regularly by peer counselors are the following:
Peer counselors are often university students who study psychology or social work. They all attend a basic counseling course offered at Careline, while some continue to do the enhanced counseling course, they are always supervised by senior counselors. This translates into valuable support for counselors when they are dealing with cases which are proving to be particularly trying, like sexual abuse, which is becoming a problem that Careline is required to deal with more frequently. Also, in such cases, there are legal implications which need to be considered, and counselors require guidance in this regard.
On the whole, Islamic Careline is playing a vital role in the South African Muslim community. Thankfully the increasing numbers of youth making their way to the doors of Careline means that the stigma attached to counseling is dissipating somewhat. This is encouraging. Hopefully it will result in a new generation of more emotionally secure individuals who are better equipped to deal with the curve balls that life often throws our way.
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