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Social Service Worker Profile: Tatenda Mhunga

Tatenda Mhunga

School Social Worker, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe School Social WorkerOverview of role

As a school social worker, my primary role is to create a safe environment that is conducive to children’s learning. I do this by setting up policies and structures that ensure the children’s safety and protection and by helping staff promote effective and safe teaching practices. I also work to create supportive relationships between students, their families, staff and the community as a whole. Because stressors within the school, family and community often interfere with children’s academic success and behavior, I also provide a range of support services to prevent or intervene in crisis situations. This includes conducting psychosocial assessments, counselling students and their families, providing grief and bereavement support, and completing community outreach on child protection and safeguarding.

Ever since the school social work role was introduced at the school, there has been improved academic achievement and attendance and mental and behavioral health among students as well as increased family and community participation with the school.

Daily tasks

My day is somewhat unpredictable as different things arise during the day that need immediate attention. Generally, my day consists of attending to students who are referred by their teachers and said to be struggling with a range of issues such as bullying, misbehavior, suspected physical/sexual/emotional abuse, or grief. I also conduct follow-up home visits for at-risk families in which a variety of issues are causing stress to their child. I normally end the day with administrative tasks such as working on policies, updating case notes and files, conducting meetings with the school administration or planning for teacher development.

Motivation

I decided to pursue a career working in a school setting because, at the time, there was a lot of abuse and exploitation of children taking place in schools and the issues were being largely ignored. I felt I had to do something about it. That, paired with my passion for social justice and child protection led me to apply to work in a school setting. My position was actually a first, since the government has not yet made social workers mandatory in schools. This shows that while the need for psychosocial support for children, staff, families and communities is great but there is limited political will and resources to put this into action.

Education/Training

I received my Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Work. I also received trainings in Child Protection and Safeguarding, Case Management, Positive Parenting, Family Systems, Systemic Counselling, Play Therapy, and Grief and Bereavement. I am also a certified trainer and facilitator. This education, together with my work experience in other child protection and safeguarding settings has helped me prepare for this job.

Most rewarding aspects of job

The most rewarding moments are those when you notice positive changes taking place within a child, their family, staff members or the community because of work that you did. Those are the heartwarming moments that keep me going. Also, getting positive feedback from families about how they have made positive changes in their situation makes it all worthwhile.

Most challenging aspects of job

Social work in general is still a relatively new profession in the country, and school social work, is even more so. I am one of the only school social workers in the country, so in the beginning there was some resistance as people were still trying to figure out who you are and what exactly you do. In the beginning there was also a generally low uptake of services among children and their families and turning the school into a safe space also called for a major paradigm shift in how the school staff operated. It has not been an overnight process and has required time, resources and patience, which can be quite frustrating.

Importance of social service workers being located in schools

Now more than ever, children are facing debilitating situations which leave them vulnerable and unable to cope. Extra support is needed to help children and their families cope with constantly changing environments, especially post-COVID. Many have suffered grief, economic downturns and changing school environments. Also the rising number of cases of suicide, bullying, abuse and exploitation makes it imperative for social workers to be present in schools as they provide a safety net and can reach many children at the same time.

Being a school social worker has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. My wish is that every school in Zimbabwe is able to have a resident school social worker for the protection and safeguarding of children. I encourage more social workers to take up this role. Together we can transform children’s lives, one school at a time.