News / National
Zim commemorates International Social Work Day
29 Mar 2013 at 07:54hrs | Views
Zimbabwe joined the rest of the world in commemorating the International Social Work Day with calls for the resuscitation and adoption of a working social protection system to promote social and economic equalities.
Speaking at the second annual commemorations held at Africa Unity Square in the capital on Thursday, Cde Webster Shamu, who was the guest of honour, deplored the collapse of social protection systems.
He said there is urgent need for an effective and functioning social protection system, considering the number of vulnerable groups, especially children, due to a number of factors including the HIV pandemic and poor health and education services.
"Our social systems have collapsed and this is not good given the importance of social services in a nation. We need to embrace social work so as to record economic and social equalities," said Cde Shamu.
The Council of Social Workers programmes officer, Mr Tendai Towera said the council is faced with resource constraints, chief among them manpower shortage, rendering it impossible to effectively implement social protection programmes across the country.
"We have been affected mainly by brain drain and critical resource constraints...we need to work together so as to ensure that programmes reach the intended beneficiaries," Mr Towera said.
According to the Ministry of Labour and Social Services, Zimbabwe has less than a hundred qualified social workers against a demand of at least 400, giving an average ratio of one worker to 49 000 children.
The local commemorations were being held under the theme: "Building Social Protection Systems Through Arts and Culture."
Speaking at the second annual commemorations held at Africa Unity Square in the capital on Thursday, Cde Webster Shamu, who was the guest of honour, deplored the collapse of social protection systems.
He said there is urgent need for an effective and functioning social protection system, considering the number of vulnerable groups, especially children, due to a number of factors including the HIV pandemic and poor health and education services.
"Our social systems have collapsed and this is not good given the importance of social services in a nation. We need to embrace social work so as to record economic and social equalities," said Cde Shamu.
"We have been affected mainly by brain drain and critical resource constraints...we need to work together so as to ensure that programmes reach the intended beneficiaries," Mr Towera said.
According to the Ministry of Labour and Social Services, Zimbabwe has less than a hundred qualified social workers against a demand of at least 400, giving an average ratio of one worker to 49 000 children.
The local commemorations were being held under the theme: "Building Social Protection Systems Through Arts and Culture."
Source - zbc
