Social work, being a professional degree, rests on the twin pillars of theoretical knowledge and the ability to integrate learnt theory into practice. Community engagement is therefore not ‘incorporated into’ or ‘added to’ the social work in practice module (MWP 400) but is in fact the module. This final-year module can be seen as the culmination of theoretical and practical knowledge gained during the three preceding years of study and aims to prepare final-year students for their entry into the social work profession as ethical and competent social workers.

All fourth-year students spend 500 hours in direct practice in a community working with a social service provider chosen by them at the end of their third year, according to their fields of interest. Students are, for example, placed in schools, hospitals, facilities for the treatment of addiction, or work with older people. They can also be placed in the criminal justice system, at non-profit organisations or at government institutions (Department of Social Development). The partnership formed between the University of Pretoria (UP) and these placement organisations is critical to the success of the programme. Registered social workers at the placement organisations act as so-called ‘field-supervisors’ who take responsibility for the day-to-day supervision of our students and assist them in gaining access to the different stakeholders in the community, while four UP practice lecturers take responsibility for the academic standard of the programme.

Students in the MWP 400 module each takes responsibility for facilitating their own project in cooperation with the community. In 2023, no less than 70 projects will be undertaken in 32 different placement organisations. Community engagement projects address social issues and structural injustices in South Africa to enhance the well-being of individuals, families, groups and communities in relation to the environment. Projects are aimed at meeting the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, adopted by 193 countries in 2015.

Some examples of projects are:

• The future-framed project in Lethabong, which empowered unemployed individuals in the community through skills-development workshops where they restored discarded picture frames to be sold at a Christmas market
• Kalerato with love – Empowering caregivers of children in an Early Childhood Development Centre (ECD) in Mamelodi to bond with their children and form strong attachments
• Active aging in Soshanguve – Keeping older persons active and engaged in their world

Module MWP 400, Community engagement, is embedded in a human rights approach that regards the worth and dignity of all people and their participation as fundamental. Community engagement is much more than meeting a perceived need by implementing a project (often based on the students’ own perceptions). To really make a difference in communities, the development of a deep understanding of the lived experiences of people is essential. Students are guided through a process of critical reflection on their engagement with different communities. All community engagement activities are informed by the needs and strengths of the particular community. An innovative development in the MWP 400 module, which is aimed at engaging the community in developing and sustaining projects, is the integration of group work with community engagement projects. By engaging with community members in smaller groups, community participation is promoted in the following ways: These groups of community members may inform the specific project by sharing their needs and strengths for inclusion in a project, which can serve to sustain the project once it has been terminated, and it may also form an integral part of the project to ensure that the students address the needs of the community and not their own. 

Our greatest strength in sustaining the MWP 400 programme is the cooperation received from field placement organisations and field supervisors who take in our students without demanding compensation for their time. Without these partnerships the programme would not survive. Our greatest challenge in the MWP 400 programme is the lack of funding to finance projects and enable our students to reach communities that are not close to campus. Sponsorships and subsidies for student transport are essential to ensure the sustainability of the MWP 400 Social Work in Practice programme. Since we function in a non-profit environment and the students’ future employers and the beneficiaries of our services are not in a position to sponsor the projects, external sponsors have to be found. Financial sustainability therefore needs to be achieved through intersectoral collaboration.

Even though community engagement (if implemented correctly) is quite challenging and requires students to develop critical thinking skills, community engagement modules are sometimes viewed as being inferior to theoretical modules. Although there is a common misconception that social work students merely hand out food parcels, community engagement is not philanthropy or ‘doing good’ to others. I am grateful to be working in a department and faculty where community engagement is valued and where I can contribute to the development of the social responsiveness of the citizens of our country.  I have great appreciation for the team of colleagues who have been involved in MWP 400 (and other) practice teaching modules over a period of many years, and I am thankful to the students and communities who have taught me about their lives.

Winning the Community Engagement award means a lot to me on a personal level as I will be retiring at the end of 2023 and I truly appreciate being acknowledged for my dedication to my career of more than 30 years. It is very important for the Faculty of Humanities and the Department of Social Work and Criminology to be recognised for their contribution to the communities we serve and the students we prepare to enter the world of work. For my colleagues in the Department who share my joy in winning this award, it is a confirmation that community engagement is being recognised for the important role it plays in the educational programme of students in our Department and on a wider platform.

I would like to encourage all students involved in community engagement in whatever form to always remember that it is not about you, but about the community.  Listen to people’s stories and you will discover that they often already have the answers to difficult situations, but need you to walk with them on the road to discovering their strengths.

Community engagement is not something you do to people, but something you do with them.