Journal Entry #3

What have you learned so far about Social Welfare issues in South Africa? In comparison to your South African counterparts, how does your social work program at Howard University compare/differ from those at the University of Western Cape? Who did you meet this week? What agencies did you visit? What do you feel you learned from your interactions this week?

During our visit to the University of the Western Cape, I was able to observe the similarities and differences between the structure of their social work department and the school of social work at Howard University. Specifically, I took note of their celebration of World Social Work Day, which is similar to our observance of March as Social Work month. While we didn't receive much of an opportunity to learn about the curriculum at the University, I did have the chance to speak with a staff person who informed me that they have 3 different degree options within their department: BSW, MSW, and Ph.D. I found his to be interesting as it is rare within the U.S. to have all three degrees available within the same school or department. This was one major difference between the University of the Western Cape and HUSSW that I took note of.

 Dean Crewe and I at the University of the Western Cape

President Wayne A.I. Frederick and I at the University of the Western Cape

Furthermore, on our first visit to the New World Foundation, one of the things that struck me most was the openness of the children. I was overwhelmed by the amount of love they showed us although we were complete strangers. That, for me, was very refreshing and contrary to what my interactions are typically like with children in the United States. The discussion of high rates of unemployment and murder ran parallel to many of the social welfare issues that occur in the U.S. However, the discussion of domestic roles for people of color in South Africa was very interesting. Through this discussion, I began to realize the significance of this role, not only for people of color in the U.S., but also across the Diaspora. I reflected on what this role has meant across time and history for my own family. I thought about how I watched my grandmother and aunts occupy this role as a child, never realizing how or why it existed and it's overall place in our history. I also reflected on the many women that I observed performing this role at LAL and what their feelings might have been. What influence did apartheid have on their lives personally and their decisions to pursue domestic work as a career? Based on the discussion by the staff person from New World Foundation, I learned that young girls are often trained to be domestic workers although they may desire to do more with their lives (i.e, become a doctor). Though they want to be empowered, they receive a great deal of resistance from their families. In light of this understanding, I also wondered if pursuing domestic work was a conscious decision for them or if they were pressured into this role? What were their hopes, dreams, and aspirations? What other career options are available to women in South Africa? While the face of the domestic role has shifted within the United States toward primarily Hispanic women, I learned that it is still very much alive and well among Black women in South Africa. This was definitely beyond what I expected to see and learn while in the country.

New World Foundation

I also learned about the social rand (public assistance) system and how South Africa is the only country in Africa that has such a system. This is definitely in contrast to the U.S. where every state has some form of a system that provides public assistance to it's residents. However, similar to the U.S., the system is intentionally designed in a way that meets the bare minimum of survival needs (i.e., a minimalist strategy), preventing over reliance on government and forcing people to find other means  of income. In many ways, I observed parallels between the underlying philosophies of government in the U.S. and South Africa, particularly related to notions of self-sufficiency, personal responsibility, the worthy vs. unworthy poor, and big government. For example, during the visit to De Novo Treatment Center, a government run and federally funded agency, their vision was "to create a self-reliant society." Furthermore, during our visit to the New World Foundation, this was the first time that the issue of father absence, particularly among young boys, was discussed. 

During this discussion, I posed the question about their strategies for engaging fathers in their programs and services as I noticed that the term "parents" was often utilized without delineating whether references were being made to mothers and/or fathers. From this, I learned that, similar to many agencies in the U.S., they struggle to find ways to effectively engage men. The statement was made that many fathers were apprehensive about coming into the agency when asked by staff members. I wondered why this was the case, but never received a clear answer. I was informed that, currently, their efforts are limited to celebration of father's day. Given my area of research, this was extremely intriguing for me and helped to further solidify the significance of my study and the need for further work with social service agencies--both nationally and internationally--around effective engagement of men in social services. 

While in South Africa, one of my primary goals was to find ways to learn more about fatherhood through their lens. Initially, I expected to have to initiate this conversation. However, to my surprise, the topic surfaced organically, which helped me to see the importance of the issue, not only for me, but for the people of South Africa as well. Overall, I was very excited to come away with a new understanding of the global significance of my work, which has peaked my interest in the internationalization of social work practice with men and fathers.

 New World Foundation

During our visit to De Novo Treatment Center, I observed the presenter's discussion of the bio-psycho-social model of service delivery. I particularly took note of her statements regarding the importance of employing an eclectic approach as "no single theory is enough to address the drug problem." At De Novo, I learned that treatment involves addressing body, mind, social environment, spiritual needs, family and psychological issues. This approach resonated with me because, in my line of research with non-resident African American fathers, I have found the same to be true in that the problems they face are so complex that they require comprehensive and eclectic approaches to problem solving. These interactions reminded me of the fact that, although we as researchers and practitioners often prefer to take the simplistic route, rarely are our client's or participant's lives ever that cut and dry. Therefore, we must make every effort to mirror their realities in both our research designs and approaches to service delivery. I didn't anticipate coming to South Africa and hearing about the same bio-psycho-social model that is frequently discussed and employed in the U.S. So, this definitely differed from what I expected.

New World Foundation

Sex Workers and Education Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT)

Our visit to SWEAT was by far the most interesting and thought provoking one.  Initially, it took me a moment to realize that the organization was designed to advocate for and not against sex work. I couldn't figure out why an organization would be in favor of a line of work that puts so many people, especially women, in a position to harm themselves physically, emotionally, and mentally. I still struggle with this, but through this experience, I learned to at least be more open-minded, despite my own views and opinions. The notion of professionalizing sex work was so far beyond my own beliefs and values that it really challenged my boundaries as a social worker. To learn that professional people actually engaged in sex work for supplemental income was mind blowing. I wondered why sex work and not another occupation? I also contemplated to what extent that may have viewed what they were doing as survival or fulfillment of a need for intimacy? What was their personal life story? How did they come to sex work as a profession? Was there anything in particular that drew them to this line of work? In addition, the corruption of the police force and their engagement in the harassment and raping of sex workers was also very disheartening. 

During this visit, we all had the opportunity to meet several people, both women and men, who actively engage in sex work.  In many ways, I grappled with how I would effectively serve them as clients, given my strong opinions against it. While I walked away from this experience maintaining my position of opposition and disagreement with the ideologies of SWEAT, all that I have learned through my experience at Howard about human dignity and respect for persons came rushing back to me like a flood. Although I don't agree with the promotion of sex work, what was most important for me was the need and right for all people to be respected and treated with dignity. At the end of the day, this was the unifying thread and the point on which would could all agree.

 Department of Social Development

During our visit to the Department of Social Development, one of the things that stood out to me most was their discussion of the advancement of their social security system and the emphasis they place on investing in and ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of the system. During the presentation, it was stated that many developing countries look to South Africa to learn about their system of social security. I found this to be very interesting as, in many ways, the United States is often seen as the gold standard and the measuring stick against which third world and developing nations should measure themselves. It was good to know that, despite their third world status, South Africa is leading the way in the area of social security. This experience taught me that other countries have a lot of knowledge to offer. Although there may be a shortage of resources, there is no shortage of wisdom. I also found the discussion about the community development  system to be interesting. 

Overall, it seemed that the impetus for implementing this new system was the need to bridge the micro and macro divide and to move away from a focus on individuals to a focus on uplifting the community as a whole. This is a philosophy that I would really like to see adopted in the United States. The model of social work education and service delivery that currently exists often creates an artificial divide between micro and macro areas of social work practice. However, I believe that true effectiveness comes from a merger and fusion of the two areas of practice. I really appreciated the credence given to this idea by the people of South Africa.

Furthermore, the discussion about the significance of NGOs and the extent to which the Department of Social Development relies on them to function was also interesting. I found this to be virtually opposite of the way government and non-profits function in the U.S., which is for the most part in silos and very independent of one another. I also really appreciated their attempts to create a seamless government and to promote partnerships and working across municipalities through MOUs and contractual agreements. In this U.S., there is a continuous struggle to work effectively, collaborate, and pool efforts across governmental entities. The fact that other countries are making it happen allowed me to know and understand that it is possible.

I also took note of their notion of going "back to basics" and really simplifying their systems of government and social welfare priorities for the country and citizens of South Africa, which is all contained within their National Development Plan (NDP). In comparison to the U.S., the function and purpose of government in South Africa, in my opinion, was much simpler and easy to digest and understand (i.e., social security, social welfare, and community development).

My final thought I took away from the Department of Social Development was related to a statement that was made by a staff person regarding what was referred to as "developmental social work", he stated: "you can't counsel someone out of poverty. There are systemic issues that must be addressed. Social work is inherently a political endeavor." This again solidified for me the importance of bridging the micro macro divide and understanding that it is the job of every social worker to engage to some degree in policy advocacy on behalf of their clients.

During the visit to Pinocchio Creche, I was most struck by the passion with which Helen addressed the group. She was so captivating and intriguing. She shared with us their garden and the emphasis they place on serving the children healthy meals. She also discussed the struggle they face with getting parents involved in the program, which is very similar to the challenges experienced within the early childhood education system in the United States. Here again, the topic of fatherhood surfaced. However, I observed the fact that she spoke about men and fathers from a more strengths-based perspective, stating that there are men who are present in the lives of their children and the need for focusing on these men and getting them involved. Since I knew that I would return to this site for my day of service, I held my questions for that time. 

 

Helen and Ms. Maggie addressing the group  at Pinocchio Creche

 

Ms. Maggie and I at Pinocchio Creche

Ronnell and I at Teen Challenge

Our visit to Teen Challenge was probably the most impactful experience of the trip for me. I would attribute this not to Ronnell's discussion of the services offered through the program, but to her transparency and willingness to share her own personal testimony. Her spirit was larger than life! However, if I had to speak to the aspects of her discussion related to the components of the Teen Challenge program, I would say the emphasis they place on forgiveness, accountability for one's actions, and assisting the youth with discovering and unlocking their potential and purpose in life were some of the things that I appreciated most about their approach to service delivery. 

In addition, I really took to heart her challenge to us as social workers to use our God given gifts to help others and to "not just become a normal social worker, but to operate in that to our fullest extent." I also took note of her definition of a "good" social worker which included going the extra mile, offering your own life experiences, being "real", developing trust, and maintaining confidentiality. Another statement that really resonated with me was when she referenced their 98% success rate while also recognizing: "we do the work, but Jesus is the healer." To me, this spoke to the separation between God and man. Although we are God's chosen vessels for doing our work as social workers, we are yet human just like our clients. We are not saviors. It is through us that God works to heal hearts and effect lasting change. I also made note of the fact that this was yet another organization where the issue of fatherhood was discussed, particularly as it relates to factors underlying substance abuse for both men and women. From Ronnell, I learned that fatherlessness in South Africa tends to be most prevalent in the colored community and most men that are absent from the lives of their children are either incarcerated or simply choose to not be a father or take accountability or responsibility, denying their biological ties to their children.

Overall, I feel that Ronnell is truly an asset to Teen Challenge and the world. It was ironic to me that she has no training in the area of social work, in fact, she is an accountant. However, her ability to inspire and change lives is so powerful. My interactions with her during this visit reminded me of the fact that God can use anyone to fulfill his plan and purpose. He has no respect of person or profession. I also took note of the fact that things did not turn out as planned for this visit in terms of the fact that she was not the person that was originally supposed to address our group. However, I truly believe things happened in the exact way that God intended because, for many of us, we had an encounter that changed our lives for the better. The first few days for me were difficult in terms of adjustment, but I left this visit knowing that God was in the midst of our group and waited in expectation of what He was going to reveal through all of the individuals I had yet to meet.

During our visit at the Ark City of Refuge, the thing that stood out to me most there was the sheer  magnitude, complexity, and vastness of the organization they operate on a daily basis, serving hundreds of children, adults, elderly, and families and 2,500 meals per day. I wondered how they managed to do it all. Finally, during our last visit to Community Women Action (CWA), I was very appreciative of all they done to welcome us and the lengths they went to in terms of preparing lunch and the various presentations given by the youth and staff. Much like Ronnell at Teen Challenge, being in the presence of Auntie Vi was also a tremendous blessing. I recalled the presentations given by the two students during our Saturday seminar wherein they discussed and reflected on the powerful nature of Auntie Vi's spirit and I too had this same sentiment in my interactions with her. All in all, what stood out to me most during our visits to the various organizations was the people I had the opportunity to encounter. Their kindness, pride in their country, passion for their work, and overall spirit is what I took with me and will remember most.

School children and I at the Ark City of Refuge

 School children at the Ark City of Refuge

 School children at the Ark City of Refuge

 

Member of youth band and I at Community Women Action (CWA) 

Auntie Vi and I at Community Women Action (CWA)