Trauma Response Care programme at the Civic Centre

The damage left by October’s hailstorm goes beyond buildings. For some residents, the emotional wounds remain.

Today, City of Masvingo Mayor, Cllr Aleck Tabe, officially launched the Trauma Response Care programme at the Civic Centre. A partnership between City of Masvingo and Happynest Counselling Chambers (HNCC), the programme provides psychosocial support to those affected by the disaster.

Mayor Tabe commended residents for supporting one another after the storm, which President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a State of Disaster. He emphasised that recovery must also address anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms.

Through the City’s Health Department and HNCC, pupils are already receiving age-appropriate counselling, while teachers are receiving counselling and training in trauma first aid.

Town Clerk, Eng. Edward Mukaratirwa, urged collective action to heal the emotional wounds left by the disaster, reinforcing the launch theme: Rebuilding Homes, Healing Minds: Masvingo Rises Together.

HNCC Chief Executive Officer and specialist psychologist, Mr Innocent Mataruse, said the programme would reach every government and council-run school in the city. Using a stepped-care approach, support will be matched to individual needs. Each school will receive two sessions, with HNCC also responding to trauma-related emergencies.

Funded by the City of Masvingo’s Disaster Management Fund, the programme is FREE to all pupils.

How can you help?

Check in on someone affected, make time to listen and share this message so more families know support is available.

Together, we can rebuild more than homes—we can restore hope and ensure that no one faces recovery alone.