In the build-up to Human Rights Day on Monday, the Department of Social Development on Tuesday celebrated the country’s social workers during the World Social Work Day.
The theme of this year’s Social Work Day is Co-building a New Eco-Social World: Leaving No One Behind.
In a statement on Tuesday, the department said it appreciates the crucial role that social workers play in communities, adding that it also supports an initiative by the International Federation of Social Workers to raise awareness about climate change on the quality of life and livelihood of communities.
It said: “Our country has experienced devastating effects of changing weather patterns as evidenced by droughts, wildfires and floods, which among others destroy homes and displace people.
“Our social workers and social auxiliary workers are always at the forefront responding to the needs of communities in times of natural disasters.”
The department appealed to all South Africans to work with social workers to ensure that communities take part in the initiatives aimed at promoting the value of the environment.
“Let us support social work practitioners in their endeavour to fully utilise and promote the person-in-environment interactions as a contribution to the new eco-social world we all aspire to live in,” said Lindiwe Zulu, the Minister of Social Development.
Zulu mentioned that the country is grappling with multiple social problems ranging from teenage pregnancy, alcohol and drug abuse, as well as gender-based violence.
She said: “Many households, especially those who are hardest hit by Covid-19, also depend largely on social workers for counseling, psycho-social support, and other varied interventions including the delivery of integrated quality and ethical developmental social welfare services.
“We have seen social workers being a source of hope to people during Covid-19, in the return of South Africans from Wuhan [in China where Covid-19 is said to have originated] during the first wave of Covid-19, and [during] the collapse of a church in Nigeria.
“The department recognises that the social work profession is still a critical skill required by the sector to implement key legislative frameworks that guide the response and interventions on a variety of social ills and vulnerabilities.”
The department said to further improve the image of the profession, it will engage various networks to promote the integration of eco-social work practice in the education and practice of the profession.
It said: “Such an approach will be pursued with anticipation that social workers will be equipped to respond to community needs emanating from the impact of climate and environmental changes on the quality of life.
“Such an awareness strengthens interventions for the social wellbeing of individuals, families, communities, and society at large.”
Happy World Social Work Day to all our social workers who tirelessly work for the good of this country! Appreciate a social worker today to make his/her day! pic.twitter.com/skas0igyuz
— Social Development (@The_DSD) March 15, 2022
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