ROLE PLAY

FARAJA, AMANI AND ZURI

Faraja, Amani and Zuri are referred for family assisted psychotherapy. They are
14, 12 and 5 years old respectively. Faraja and Amani are energetic boys and
Zuri is their little sister. They are children involved in a court case where the
father is asking for full custody of the children.
Their father and Mother separated 4 years prior. He has since remarried. The
father reported that the children's biological mother would neglect the
children, leaving them home unattended for days. They would go for days
without food and proper clothing. He does not want their biological mother
anywhere near the children.
During the therapy process, Faraja and Amani reported the same. They
mentioned that the mother would beat them, shout at them and that they
wore torn clothes. They mentioned that she would go clubbing and return
home the next day. They always referred to their mother by her first name
Naomi.
In conversation, Faraja and Amani refer to their stepmother as mum. They
seldom talk about their biological mother and upon enquiring about the
possibility of setting up a meeting with her, they inform the psychologist they
do not want to meet with her neither want to go and visit her. Zuri however
does not have any recollection of her biological mother since she last saw her
when she was an year old. She also refers to her stepmother as "mum".
Faraja was among the top KCPE students in the country during his time. He had
been seeing a Psychologist while in class seven and eight and at some point
was on anti-depressant medications, when he joined form one, he ran away
from school and traced his mother's friend house and requested to be taken to
his biological mother. Faraja does not want to go back to his former school. He
wants a transfer to a school near home. He does not want to live with his
father and has refused to meet him since he came to his mum's place.

1. What are the issues in this case?

2. What are the child needs?

3. How as a mediator would you go about this case?

4. Do you have any other thoughts / considerations about this case?