As a sometimes underappreciated profession, the month of March has been dedicated to social workers, and rightfully so.
A group of local social workers came together at Friends Café on March 15 to celebrate themselves. World Social Work Day is commemorated yearly on the third Tuesday in March.
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The theme for World Social Work Day in 2022 was Co-building a New Eco-Social World: Leaving No One Behind.
The convener of the group, Nadia Schoeman, said they had initially created a group for when certain training sessions were held, but it also became a platform for them to connect with each other.
Sitting around their table of 10 people, there was a general consensus that this profession is wildly undervalued. They said there exists this idea that they do two things: take away children and hand out food parcels.
Even though this forms part of their jobs, they are and do so much more. There are many specialised fields in the social work profession. Some specialise in mental health and substance abuse, some focus on family, children and schools while others can be found playing vital roles in court proceedings; there are many more.
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Above all, the group said they would like to be seen and appreciated for what they can offer the community. They are no less than any other profession and are well-equipped to deal with situations ranging from suicide risks to sexual abuse to divorce.
Especially in our current environment, mid-Covid-19, and all the resulting consequences of the lockdown, they said their services are more valuable now than ever.
The theme for Social Work Month: The Time is Right for Social Work illustrates this. When chatting about their needs on a daily basis that would make their lives and those they serve easier, the group mentioned that they would like to, on next year’s World Social Work Day, invite other relevant professions to celebrate the day with them.
They are often in need of services like occupational health services, speech therapists and more. Anyone who would like to discuss the possibility of availing themselves or donating funds to social workers in town can contact Nicolette Pruis on nicolette.pruis@gmail.com.
Schoeman said they would like to thank Friends for the discount they received on the day, as well as Hayley Mumby (from Care4All Pilates Studio) and the Hoërskool Nelspruit support services for donating gifts for the day.
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