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Family Based Care

Chicago student vist Rays of Hope

The six students are part of a doctoral programme in International Psychology offered by the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. The group’s supervisor, Dr Cole Struhar, explains: “Part of the first year of study in this particular course involves travelling to a foreign country to study important interventions that are happening at a social level. On this trip, my group will be spending time with several NGOs over a ten-day period. Rays of Hope is one of these. In fact, this is the fifth time we have visited Rays of Hope with our students. It is a fine example of effective social engagement in a particularly needy environment. These international visits are a compulsory part of the first year of study towards the students’ PhD degrees. During this time they look for subjects and situations that could form the basis of their research dissertations.” Although there are many countries the students could visit, South Africa is one of the most popular. “This is interesting. I can only guess that South Africa possesses a unique social, political and historical mix that attracts the students. Also, I suspect, they see parallels between yourselves and the United States in terms of a common history of racial issues,” said Cole. During the visit, the students engaged with the children in a range of activities, including crafting and painting. Several other students headed straight towards the kitchen, got busy, and soon the aroma of a freshly cooked meal filled the air. For the children it was a wonderful afternoon of fun, mental stimulation and, of course, they all eagerly partook of that delicious meal. Kari Prince, International Liaison Officer of TCS Education Systems, co-ordinates the annual overseas visits of the Chicago group. “Rays of Hope is an ideal destination and I make sure it is visited each year by this group. This is not a one-way affair where only the students benefit. International recognition and exposure is very important for Rays of Hope. In fact, after so many visits we are hoping that there can be positive ways by which Rays of Hope can benefit through the exchange of training materials, and possibly in other ways,” she said. For Bertha Muchadeyi, foster mother to eight children at the home, it was all about the children. “It’s important that we receive international recognition, but for the little ones, this day is all about receiving attention, learning new skills and having fun. They need to know that they are loved.”

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