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| National |
| Expert advises victims to talk about Mkomachi incident |
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by
Gedion Munthali, 01 October 2003
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18:53:00
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Bed wetting, nightmares and bad dreams are some conditions that may affect people traumatised by the Mkomachi primary school tragedy if they are not given an opportunity to talk about the incident and recount their experience, psychologist Chiwoza Bandawe advised Wednesday.
Asked how those affected could deal with trauma, Bandawe, a clinical psychology lecturer at College of Medicine in Blantyre, said the victims should be afforded a chance to sit down and talk about their experience.
“Since trauma is an experience which happens from an abnormal experience, when you talk about it, you let it go,” said Bandawe. “When you do not talk, it remains in you and manifests itself at different times through nightmares, bad dreams, flashbacks or bed wetting.”
He suggested that the victims sit in groups and recount their experiences under the supervision of counsellors, adding that pupils could have a session where they could come up with drawings expressing their experiences. He said children of the Mozambican refugees used to do the same.
Meanwhile, the remains of Deliya Kayo, who was dismembered in the tragedy, were carried Wednesday from Lilongwe to Dedza for burial in a Ministry of Education vehicle. Those of Lifness Kamlindeni, who was completely beheaded, will be buried Thursday at Mgona Cemetery on the periphery of Lilongwe city. She hailed from Dowa.
The two girls were killed when a trunk of a tree, used as a class snapped and fell on them. Seven others — Anderson Mtauno, Grace Banda, Hastings Sanudi, Rodgers Damison, Prisca Christopher, Wilson Mtauno and Kondwani George — were rushed to Lilongwe Central Hospital after sustaining various injuries. Two of them were admitted.
Hospital Administrator Zithane Nkunika could not give an update of their condition Wednesday, saying he had spent time in meetings. The hospital director Damison Kathyola could not be traced. But a nurse who did not want to be named said, “we are still observing them, but the condition is stable.”
Addressing the teachers at the school, parliamentarian of the area Mary Kaphwereza Banda said everyone, including President Bakili Muluzi, would have to be consulted on the way forward. She, however, lamented delays to implement programmes to construct more school blocks at the school.
An official from the Ministry of Education said government was currently constructing about 1000 school blocks throughout the country annually, saying it was difficult that all the schools could be attended to at once.
Head of Education at UNICEF Bernard Gatawa said his organisation was taken aback by the incident since it was investing a lot in their education. He, however said UNICEF would consult with the Ministry of Education on the way forward.
“We know of many challenges facing education and we must try to meet these challenges to make education enjoyable,” he said. “But we cannot do it overnight.”
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