this “mourning educator” accompanies students and families to “listen to their grief”

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In the aftermath of the massacre that killed 21 people in a school in Texas, support was offered to those affected. franceinfo met one of the educators present.

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The inhabitants of Uvalde (Texas), in the United States, were in shock on Wednesday May 25, the day after the massacre which left 21 dead including 19 children in a school in the city of 16,000 inhabitants. The families of the victims and the students of the school are traumatized. They are followed by educators, who listen to them in a room in the city, out of sight. franceinfo met one of these professionals.

Caroline Delecour introduces herself as “mourning educator”. She came from San Antonio, another city in Texas, the day after the tragedy to support what she calls the “great south texas family”. The Austin native lost a son in an avalanche 18 years ago. It therefore seemed natural to him to come and offer his help here.

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Caroline will say nothing of the stories told to her. She is content to describe the animals present inside, which the children can stroke to clear their minds: “There are a lot of therapy dogs. I saw at least twelve of them.” She also describes “big boxes of games for children, like modeling clay”, brought by volunteers to occupy them. Before sliding: “There are a lot of tears.”

The educator”in matters of mourning” hardly speaks, she listens. “My job is to try to fix something. It’s not my role to give advice because there’s nothing to say.” Her main mission is for her “to listen to their grief, to let them know that I am there”she explains.

Sometimes, when she feels she can do it, she takes her interlocutors in her arms: “I like to hug people. Lots of people in South Texas hug.” The goal is to comfort, as if it were someone in the family. “South Texas is my home. So I really feel at home with the people here.”


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