It was early this year when she was feeling quite worried.
She was mentally shattered because of her family’s struggles and did not know who to turn to for help.
Her husband had gotten sick and was not working for some time and her small canteen business had also ceased.
There was neither enough food for her family members nor milk and diapers in the house for her baby.
While thinking what to do and who to turn to for help, she remembered Empower Pacific’s toll-free counselling helpline number 5626.
A counsellor from the NGO had given her some brochures when they had met at the Bayly Welfare office in Lautoka last year.
So, she called the toll-free counselling helpline, which is supported by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade.
This is the story of a 30-year-old woman, whom we shall refer to as client, in her own words.
Empower Pacific focuses on the provision of counselling support for addressing mental health issues that people face. Social work support is also provided.
“I was worried a lot for some time and I was very devastated as I saw that my family and I were struggling a lot. It was in February,” said the client.
“I called the helpline number which was given to me last year by a Empower Pacific counsellor, who had told me to call the number if I needed counselling assistance.
“When I called the helpline, the woman who answered referred me to the same counsellor who had given me the number at the Bayly Welfare office in Lautoka last year.”
The client said her family was going through hard times at that point in time.
Her husband got very sick after working in the rain and he could not continue with his work because of the severe weather being experienced early this year.
“We were struggling financially and it was hard for me as well because we were dependent on his income.
“Since he wasn’t going to work because he was sick, there was no income and no groceries at home.
“Previously, I was able to run my small canteen from his little income and made little profit to enable us adjust with the cost of living.
“But with my husband being unemployed and the canteen business not operational, we were running out of groceries, milk for the baby and diapers.
“I was emotionally down and with all the stress in my mind, I shared my problems with the counsellor and I felt relieved and less burdened after talking to her.”
The client said the counsellor explained to her about social work and the role of a social worker, who contacted her after the counselling session.
“A social worker called me from Empower Pacific and said that she would provide an infant pack for my baby. She was very polite and I was thrilled that help was on the way.
“It wasn’t long after when the same counsellor contacted me and told me that she had made arrangements with Bayly Welfare for my groceries.
“I went and picked up the groceries. On the same day, the social worker visited my home and gave the infant pack for my baby.
“I’m very grateful for the support that was provided to me by Empower Pacific during the hard times that my family and I were going through,” said the client.
Empower Pacific counsellor Jessica Philip, who is mostly stationed at the Bayly Welfare office in Lautoka, said the client approached her during one of her visits there last year.
Ms Philip had a conversation with the client and gave her some Empower Pacific brochures with the helpline number on it.
“When the client called our helpline early this year, she was coincidentally referred to me and I saw that she was on my contact list,” she said.
“I had a counselling session with her and I explained to her how stress affects our mental health and overall health.
“Also, I psycho-educated her on the negative impacts of stress and how she can refrain from getting stressed.”
Ms Philip said she liaised with a staff member of Bayly Welfare on the possibility of providing some assistance to the client, who was assisted by way of groceries a few times.
Empower Pacific and JP Bayly Welfare Trust work in partnership through a memorandum of understanding signed between the two organisations in September 2023.
The MOU was to strengthen the working relationship between the two organisations and assist the less fortunate in society through a holistic approach.
Ms Philip is mostly based at their office in Lautoka to provide counselling for mental health issues, if needed, to people going there for any form of assistance.
People who are facing mental health issues are encouraged to call the Empower Pacific 24/7 toll-free counselling helpline 5626 from any network and seek assistance.
- AVINESH GOPAL is the communications and media officer for Empower Pacific.
