19/03/2024
WORLD SOCIAL WORK DAY-A SPECIAL DAY FOR SOCIAL WORKERS.
Globally, in March every year we celebrate the role social workers play in social settings and this years theme for World Social Work Day is; "Shared Future for Transformative Change”.
As we celebrate this day, I want to briefly explain about social work and the role social workers play in society.
Well, social work as the name suggests is a practice-based profession that promotes social change, development, cohesion and the empowerment of people and communities. In other words, it is a conduit through which human development is engineered.
Traditionally, social workers are stationed at social welfare institutions dotted around the country and the concern for many people prior and after successfully pursuing social work as a profession is the availability of jobs.
I must say that before I was accepted at UNZA, my mom wanted me to be a lawyer at all cost and that did not resonate with my passion in life. When I spoke to her about social work, she reprimanded me and counselled me not to go that route. Her main concern was that; with social work, jobs are at all-times scarce and besides, it is not a known program altogether. In her own words she said "social work ikakutwala kwisa."Anyway, I got such sentiments from friends too.
It took me a while to digest and make a final decision and after a month of introspection, my final decision was social work!
Whilst at school, I soldiered through my four years journey easily and this is because I was passionate. Each time I learned something new, I was intrigued and thrilled which ignited my passion to serve humanity strongly.
Today I am a certified social worker and founder of Sombo Charity Foundation among many other roles in society all because of social work. Recently, I got appointed in the CDF committee as Vice Chairperson because of the societal impact Sombo Charity Foundation has had in Kapiri Mposhi since its establishment. I have worked for quite a number of nongovernmental organisations and spoke at various events all because of social work.
A year ago I was recommended by a successful business woman from the community to be employed by USAID as a business advisor for agribusinesses in central province because the project needed someone who can easily touch base/relate with the business community and has entrepreneurial knowledge, social work!
I will tell you this; social work has a wide range of job opportunities in and outside government. In fact, social workers are the conduit through which nonstate actors contribute or help the state address economic, social and environmental issues in the country and the world at large.
I want to encourage those thinking twice about pursuing a social work program that it is also a lucrative program. More so, it gives fulfillment to help others in dire situations and the world is in need of more social workers to help the government and nongovernmental organisations run the affairs of the people with dignity.
There is a growing misconception that social workers work for free without remuneration, I want to rebut that assumption by saying that social workers are well remunerated.
*Social work my career*
*Social workers are essential*
*social work is a lucrative career*
*social workers live for others *
