The month of March not only celebrates human rights, it also celebrates social workers. Tuesday (15 March) was National Social Workers Day.
This year the theme was “The Time is right for Social Work”, presented by the National Association of Social Work.
What local social workers have to say:
Zayile Africa-Sauls is a court intermediary and registered social worker. She studied at Huguenot College in Wellington.
“The plight of the vulnerable and those suffering injustice has always been close to my heart and made me decide to enter this noble profession. It drives restorative justice and safe-guards the rights and interests of children through the court system. Social work makes a difference in the lives of children on a daily basis, the best part of my work, especially when my skills and expertise can give an innocent child a space for their voice to be heard.
“The most challenging part of my work is witnessing children being hurt by adults who were meant to protect them.” Maria Mathibeli: “I decided to become a social worker for I had grown up in a community with a lot of social issues – poverty, child abuse and neglect.
“In a way I wanted to help minimise these issues, not just in my community, but the whole country.
“The biggest challenge of being a social worker is access to mental-health resources for ourselves. It is not easy dealing with other people’s issues and not internalising them. Debriefing and self-care form a vital part of the social-work process, as one cannot pour from an empty cup.
“Personally, the most rewarding part is bringing about change, safeguarding children by placing them in an environment more conducive to their optimal development.”Tamzyn van den Heever, a practising social worker, studied for her degree at the University of the Western Cape and works at FASfacts.
“I am born and bred in Worcester. I grew up in Avian Park and the Riverview flats most of my life. I witnessed how broken and distorted our people really are.
“Speaking for myself, I also did not have a fairy-tale childhood and encountered a lot of obstacles. I am a people’s person and love deeply. I became a social worker because I want to help others help themselves become the best version of who they really are.”
Patricia Niemand, social worker and a native of Worcester, grew up in Avian Park.
“I studied at Huguenot College and obtained my Social Work degree there.
“I really observed the circumstances around my mother and I, whose door was always open to children who came looking for food, never hesitated to give a piece of bread to a child.
“Then I always said to myself that one day I would like to help people.”
