Free counselling service via MobieG app
A free text-based counselling service on Mxit and on the web is available for young people, called MobieG.
Stephnie Crouse, executive director of MobieG, says the anonymous service has been operational since July 2010 and has counselled more than 43 000 young people since inception.
“The kind of problems MobieG tends to, are abuse, teen pregnancy, abortion, homosexuality, relationship problems, bullying, addiction, pornography, divorce, paternity, depression, STD’s, low self-esteem, suicide, grief, dating guidance and even help with homework,” explains Crouse.
Crouse says she grew up in a happy home and had good caring parents, but was secretly sexually molested by her grandfather from the age of three years old.
“He was a serial paedophile. They have ways to keep their victims quiet. It was a very traumatic and confusing time in my life.
“By the age of seven years, I realised I had to stay out of his way at all cost. What I didn’t know was that he just turned his attention to my younger siblings. He was never confronted about this, and molested young girls till the day he died,” says Crouse.
Crouse says that no adult ever took her for counselling or talked her through what happened, and she had to deal with it on her own.
“I only got counselling to deal with the trauma of sexual abuse when I turned 30. By then I was already married and mother of a baby girl. The abuse I suffered hit me hard when I became a mother. It triggered compassion in me for young people in crisis, who have no one to turn to for help,” she says.
Crouse says she has always dreamed of finding a way to give children a voice, so that they can speak out easily and safely about what is happening to them.
“MobieG is trying to fill that void and to combat the silence that often surrounds abuse. We want to let clients know they are not alone. All facilitators on MobieG are experts in their own fields of expertise and are trained in text-based counselling. Our main focus is helping people between the ages of 10 to 35 years.
“Our facilitators are all experts, social workers, registered nurses, children advocates, teachers, pastors and psychologists,” explains Crouse.
Crouse says that 30 per cent of their clients are referred for more specialised help, to state clinics, hospitals, the SAPS, child welfare and therapists.
MobieG is available online from Monday to Thursday from 7pm to 9.30pm and on Sundays from 9pm to11pm.
Learners with access to a PC may chat via the live chat facility on www.mobieg.co.za or via Mxit by downloading it on www.mxit.com and downloading the MobieG app.
To make a donation you may contact Crouse on ops@mobieg.co.za. – @TumeloBoksburg
