Views sampled by Livinus Tal Bam
The Kumbo Diocesan Family Life Office has commissioned the 14 batch of counsellors during a recent ceremony at the St. Jerome's Biblical and Pastoral Centre Kumbo. The counsellors, over 50, among who were priests and religious, came from all the parishes of the diocese.
To become a counsellor, psychological aptitude and training are needed. After their training, which lasted eight months, the newly commissioned counsellors received end of course certificates.
In a speech made during the ceremony on behalf of the graduating students, Alphonsus Fang Chia observed that more people have taken interest in counselling as the number of counsellors had increased by 53. He attributed the public's growing interest in counselling to an increase in marital problems, terminal illnesses and juvenile delinquency. This year's graduation was special because almost all parishes sent in delegates to be trained. There were also a record number of priests and religious trainees.
Trainers have done their job and it is now up to the trainees to prove their worth in their communities. The Bishop of Kumbo, Mgr. George Nkuo, was present during the commissioning ceremony. After the ceremony some trainers and trainees outlined the importance of counselling.
Mr. Lukong Ephraim (Kumbo Diocesan Family Life Coordinator) 
These candidates have been trained by parishes for the parishes. I expect the parishes to make good use of them. We have instructed them to expose themselves and make their services known to people out of the church milieu. But parishes, health centres, hospitals and institutions are encouraged to make good use of these trainees. They received training in two areas. Firstly, some were trained to handle cases of people living with terminal diseases. This means they are expected to help them handle their situation and live with the reality. Secondly, some were trained to handle marital problems. They are going to help couples in marital crisis to know how to handle their marital problems because a counsellor is trained not to give solutions, but to facilitate problem owners to know how to go about with their problems.
Rev. Sr. Caroline Acha (Delegate from the congregation of sisters of St. Therese, Kumbo)
The course was very important because nowadays many people live with a catalogue of problems. They do not even know that they can go to a counsellor for help. I also discovered during the training that our society is plagued with a number of difficulties like marital problems, terminal diseases and other social problems. The people who have these problems need to be assisted. Sometimes students come home for holidays and are unable to return to school because of very minor problems which counsellors could have solved. The course therefore helped me to discover the importance of counselling.
Rev. Fr Peter Tar (priest from Shisong Capuchin Friary) 
There is an increasing awareness among the priests to be trained as counsellors because as priests, we are called to become full pastors. Most of the problems we encounter in our pastoral ministry include marital and family problems, increasing HIV infections and other terminal illnesses. Counselling is very necessary in helping priests address these difficulties. The fact that we have been trained in Theology does not mean that we know everything that can enable us to go about and do our pastoral work excellently. More is still required. I think all priests in Kumbo Diocese and the Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province should be trained as counsellors. The course, which lasted eight months, has been successful. Participants came from all walks of life with different academic qualifications. The course permitted an interaction between people from different social strata and educational levels.
Mr. Chia Alphonsus (Discipline Master, St. Augustine's College, SAC, Nso) 
As a discipline master the counselling course I have just received is very important for me because I am going to help the students to understand what their problems are and not simply revert to smacking them when they do something wrong. From now on, I will talk with my students to understand the problems they are facing. Thereafter, the students can decide how to get out of such problems. During the course I realised that I had been brutal when correcting students, wrongly thinking I was helping them. It is not only through punishment that students' problems can be solved. It is good to let students know the cause of their problems. When students know they can handle their problems, they will find solutions to their problems. Before now, I was giving advice and not counselling.
Rev. Sr. Doris Kiven (Kumbo Diocesan Youth Apostolate team member)
As a religious I meet people from all backgrounds both young and old. These people have difficulties which need to be addressed. I think that I am well equipped after this training to be able to assist people in various spheres of life, that is, where help is needed to enable them live happily.
Rev. Sr. Ruphina (Matron of the St. Elizabeth General Hospital Shisong) 
The people I send to be trained every year are made to understand themselves first and others next. So, when they complete this course, they are not only useful to themselves, but are also to everybody. In hospital they talk with patients to understand their problems and help them to adapt to or come out of their situations. Patients rely very much on them as people who can find solutions to the numerous problems they have.
Pamela Tatah (Mbve parish Delegate) 
My desire to be trained as a counsellor came when I saw many young people in my parish going astray. Both the young and the old are suffering. There are a lot of couples living in marital crisis, but there is no one to help them. When someone told me that Kumbo Diocese is offering this training, I immediately made up my mind to be one of those to be trained this year. I am happy that the training has ended successfully. I am returning to my parish to serve God's suffering people there by applying the skills I have acquired during this course in the hope that their problems will be solved.
Jessica Kini (Diocesan Family Life Worker) 
Having realised the growing ills of society, the Diocesan Family Office saw the urgent need to train volunteer counsellors in Kumbo Diocese. The training has become a yearly programme as it contributes to the development of the local Church in the following reasons; building Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) resilience through psycho-social support and counselling, and terminal disease and marital crisis counselling, just to name these few.