Being offered the opportunity again, after some absence, to write weekly columns for the Herald, is a wonderful privilege I am honoured to embrace.
As a practicing social worker, my professional scope includes investigating and identifying factors that impair the social functioning of individuals or groups. With this knowledge, interventions are designed and agreed on, which then are implemented and evaluated. The ultimate aim of course is to improve the social functioning of an individual or a group such as a family.
As no family member is able to live in complete isolation within the boundaries of this family, I invite all the readers to consider also viewing each and every individual community member as part of the Randfontein family. It is no secret that every week members of our family are being confronted with life-changing challenges, life-threatening events and concerns about our ultimate survival.
Consequently, these factors impact greatly on the social functioning of our individual family members, which has a ripple effect, affecting all of us to some degree. This potentially limits our progress and robs us of our joy.
Pulling resources to achieve the optimal outcome that benefits the largest group of individuals is a value I have been taught as a first-year social-work student. I therefore sincerely hope that my involvement by means of this column will foster such opportunities in the Randfontein community.
Within the boundaries of our communities highly skilled people go about their daily routines, often unnoticed. We also find unskilled but highly experienced community members among us. I honestly believe by joining hands within an atmosphere of social responsibility, the whole family/ community will prosper.
Changing our consumer-orientated attitude to empathy towards others most likely is our first challenge.
I invite all members of the Randfontein family to contact me at SandriAppelgryn@gmail.com to share your views, experiences, concerns and challenges with respect to social responsibility in our local community.
