07 Apr 2022

Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVA) has identified social workers as key stakeholders in the provision of welfare support to fund beneficiaries who have either lost breadwinners or sustained injuries as a result of road crashes.

This was said by MVA’s senior manager corporate communications, Mr Mookodi Seisa during Gaborone social workers’ engagement seminar conducted by MVA case management department in Gaborone yesterday.

Mr Seisa said MVA recognised the need to improve working relations and enhance stakeholder relationships in order to improve service delivery, hence the seminar.

Stressing the seminar’s importance, he said it would afford social workers an opportunity to appreciate MVA products and services as well as equip them with knowledge on the criteria for inclusion and exclusion of claimants.

It would also promote good working relations between the fund, social workers and claimants while enabling MVA to benchmark on the Department of Social Protection policies and how the two organisations could complement each other, he stated.

Mr Seisa said the main objectives of the forum included intensification of key stakeholder engagement to effectively drive the fund’s mandate and to provide a holistic understanding of the fund’s functions and operations by sharing and enforcing MVA products and services.

Presenting on the fund’s operations and case management, case manager welfare Ms Buyani Chidoda explained that MVA was responsible for facilitating provision of psychosocial support to injured claimants, coordinating provision of compensation and support to dependents who had lost breadwinners as a result of road traffic crashes.

“Social workers play a vital role in supporting the fund’s mandate as their work involves among others, advocacy, registration and monitoring of welfare programmes for orphans, elderly and vulnerable children,” she said.

Ms Chidoda also pointed out that social workers had full coverage in remote areas, which would complement service delivery to claimants who resided in far-flung places.

She stated that the psychosocial support interventions offered to injured claimants were meant  to improve their wellbeing and mental health, resolve or mitigate troublesome behaviours, beliefs, compulsions, thoughts or emotions as well as relationships and social skills.

Expressing appreciation for the work of social workers, Ms Chidoda said it was through their dedication and efforts that the scope of mental health was changing.

She described social work as MVA’s core business as well as a social security arm adding that through partnerships with practitioners, a lot could be achieved. ENDS