Online Balkanization is the New Counselling Service For Beneficiaries In Resource Minimized Settings in Africa

Our experience has been that of working within countries ultra-suspicious of many forms of organization e.g., Nigeria, Sudan, Uganda, Egypt, Morocco, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Tanzania; nations have a larger younger population whose psychosocial needs are under-met e.g., Uganda, Zimbabwe, RSA, Kenya, DRC, RDC, Cameroon, Nigeria...;  individuals whose threadbare link to the internet is via Facebook's Accessible Wifi using smartphones that need recharging in economies where electricity rationing is de rigeur. But....

We have seen positives and worked with the little resources we had available. We use an online method we named OTISSSS. OTISSSS in full is: Online Trauma, Identity, Sexuality and Suicide Support Services. We started operation in 2014. Online balkanization is a new venture in socialization and we hope that as people can access smart phones, it will be another form of collectivism or cooperation which will empower individuals in skills such as: intercultural communication, self-worth development, interpersonal and intrapersonal relation skills. 

Our members can now contribute confidently to our common work. We have seen members whom we at first used to prod, turn out to take initiative to start discussions about a wider range of themes and be there when winding up. We encourage individual initiative as long as it is in line with the themes we share at the beginning of the every session which lasts 24 hours. Since 2014, we have covered 1,825 topics ranging from negotiated sex agreements to income generating activities. We have averted 190 suicide attempts so far.