Strangers flock Chiromo to relieve families of pain

From Tuesday evening through to Friday, families, relatives, and friends of victims of the deadly DusitD2 terror ordeal have flocked Chiromo funeral parlour, falling into the hands of strangers readily available to console them and give them a shoulder to lean on.

These strangers are rapid responders, counsellors and care givers who have left their day jobs and engagements to serve the bereaved families and relatives.

As expected, after viewing the bodies of their loved ones, the family members get overwhelmed by the disfigured bodies of their kin.

It is at this stage that the counsellors and volunteer care-givers come in.

But when all is said and done, who debriefs these care-givers? Who takes care of their trauma?

Father Nicholas Makau, a member of the Consolata Missionaries, has been at the compound of the funeral facility together with a group of nuns serving with him to care for the bereaved families since Wednesday.

The church has a team of trained counsellors to care for their emotional health after serving overwhelmed people the whole day. “Some of the counsellors are around, just watching over us from a distance should any of us get overwhelmed,” he said.

“Though we are the ones counselling and praying with the families, we get debriefed immediately before we embark on serving those who need to be helped,” he added.

The church counsellors help us again, even consoling with us after serving the families, Makau said. The priest said they draw their inspiration from God, saying most people find hope when they seek to pray with them.

“We help the bereaved families to develop a broader perspective as they process their loss. We help them appreciate that God has a purpose in all the happenings,” Makau said.

Care-giver Sarah Mwangi, a trained disaster first responder, has been volunteering since Tuesday. She has been responding to every major disasters in the country since 2013.

Read: Chiromo a beehive of activity as families endure tedious search for their loved ones