11 May 2014

The South African deputy high commissioner, Mr Mthembisi Mjikeliso says social workers play a vital role in the society. 

Mr Mjikeliso said this when addressing Botswana National Association of Social Workers (BONASW) during its annual general meeting in Serowe on May 10.

 He said social workers helped people overcome some of life’s most difficult challenges, amongst other them poverty, abuse, addiction and diseases.

 “As such we cannot afford to lose social workers as this would have enormous and huge costs on us as humanity impacting negatively on lives of the ordinary people who depend on the valuable service they offer,” he said.

 The deputy high commissioner opined that vulnerable persons such as people with disability, the elderly and families affected with HIV/AIDS top the list of those who would be affected negatively.

 For his part, the outgoing president of BONASW, Mr Kgomotso Jongman challenged social workers to be the change that they want people to be. He said this is imperative because being a change agent start with changing one’s life.

 He informed members to move from the profession into forming associations that will discuss issues such as drafting journals articles, helping each other to further their studies through fundraising and applying for scholarships and writing books and selling them for personal and professional gains amongst other things.

 “My dream is to find social workers at branch level meeting to add value to the body of knowledge in social work and branches being pressure groups that will make a difference in the profession,” he said.

 On other issues, Mr Jongman lamented the bad attitude of some workers who never attend meetings yet they expect the association to work effectively. 

He encouraged those in attendance that they need to stand up and protect the profession for it to grow and be known. Ends