Peer Educators and Counselors Club (PECC) hosts Wellness Week

By Claire Elsie Ochunga
Schools shutting down physical learning had students doing their course work online depriving them a chance to interact with their peers. To remedy this, the Peer Educators and Counselors Club (PECC) thought it necessary to organize a Wellness Week that encompassed activities and games that would not only be fun but also bring the USIU-Africa community together.

The event, held from November 8- 11, 2021, brought together members of the community who took part in activities including a discussion on self-care, emotional intelligence in relationships, art therapy, chess, badminton, jigsaw puzzles, monopoly, scrabble, cards, jenga, prompt boards and Red Light Green Light.

The different days set aside for Wellness Week covered different dimensions of wellness such as; social well-being, physical well-being, emotional well-being, and self-care.

The first day of Wellness Week was dedicated to self-care; learning the different ways we perform self-care and how to be consistent with the habits. Some of the key aspects of self-care that were discussed included; nutrition, sleep, hobbies that play a big role in individuals’ overall well-being. Additionally, a sense of vitality, enjoying outside interests and being in balance with our environment are other factors of self-care that were also discussed during the forum.

The second day was set aside for various outdoor activities that ran concurrently. Art Therapy had the most interaction, from artists to newbies who took the chance to try something new. We had the Chess Club join us, providing chess boards for the chess activity. Jig-saw puzzles, cards, monopoly, and scrabble were activities that brought laughter through its interaction. A visual prompt board was also installed to monitor the moods such as: happy, sad, angry, excited, and in love. Sports people were not left behind, as they had the opportunity to take part in an exciting game of badminton. An organized yoga and meditation session was facilitated by Jacqueline Malombe who is a USIU-Africa student. Art was made, calories were burnt, and friendships were formed.

The last day of Wellness Week had a discussion on emotional well-being, during which the Club hosted Hugs Foundation’s founder, Nassim Nkatha, who brought a trauma healing practitioner Mary Wairimu, who shared with the attendees the need to address trauma in order to heal. The discussion’s key points, which was centered on heartbreak, also included acknowledging and grieving the loss of the previous relationship, self-awareness to help avoid repeating patterns especially when we have unresolved parental issues, emotional support (self and communal and healthy coping skills).

The week-long event was attended by approximately 60 students, with overwhelmingly positive feedback from the students, who noted that the event needed to be hosted twice a semester to give students a chance to get to know each other.

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