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The purpose of this paper is to explore Congolese refugees and asylum seekers' survival strategies in South Africa, the focus of this paper will be on the role of the social worker. The paper is part of the study that was conducted on Congolese refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa post-war or conflicts. The study employed a qualitative research method and a descriptive case study of 10 female Congolese refugees living in Yeoville, Johannesburg South Africa. The participants have lived in South African for less than five years and there were 30–40 years of age. Data were collected by means of one-on-one in-depth interviews in the form of semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling and snowball sampling techniques were used in the selection of participants. Thematic content analysis was used in analyzing the data collected. The paper provides recommendations on what role can social workers play can in mental wellbeing interventions. This study also contributes to a better understanding of mental wellbeing issues of Congolese refugees and asylum seekers. Ethical approval for this research study was obtained from the Department of Social Work Human Research Ethics Committee (Non-medical) of the University of Witwatersrand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is timely to have this kind of study in South Africa as the country has an increasing number of people living with HIV and AIDS. While an extensive literature has documented factors associated with HIV and AIDS, psychosocial variables associated with the health of persons living with HIV (PLH) have only begun to receive attention recently. The objective of this paper was to explore the views of a group of people living with HIV and AIDS regarding HIV and AIDS and Self-Forgiveness. Theoretical base: To examine the role of self-forgiveness in people living with HIV and AIDS, George Engel's Biopsychosocial Model was adopted. Methods: Individual In-depth Interviews were conducted with 10 purposefully-selected participants in Ekurhuleni. Outcomes: Results showed that self-forgiveness has a huge role in the lives of people living with HIV and AIDS. For instance, it has been found that self-forgiveness leads to acceptance of HIV status, promote infected people to seek medical care, and eventually gain the confidence to disclose to friends and families. Work implications: In conclusion, self-forgiveness has micro, messo and macro implications as it promotes good health of people living with HIV and AIDS; enhance HIV status self-disclosure and adherence to HIV treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of HIV and AIDS have devastated families and communities in South Africa. The scourge has also left many children orphaned in the country. Given the vulnerability of orphaned children, social workers are in the forefront of ensuring that these children are cared for and protected from any harm. Hence, the purpose of this paper was to explore the role of a social worker in issues related to children orphaned by AIDS in their middle childhood. This study was situated within a qualitative research paradigm utilizing purposive, non-probability sampling of 10 participants recruited from Potchefstroom in the Northwest Province of South Africa. A semi-structured interview schedule was employed as a research tool, and in-depth one-on-one interviews were adopted as the method of data collection. A thematic content analysis was used to analyze the data collected during the interviews. The main findings point towards the need to educate children about HIV and AIDS and to empower their caregivers. The primary conclusion drawn from this study is that social workers play various key roles which contribute towards the well-being of orphaned children. Recommendations are posed in relation to social work service providers, government interventions, and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child well-being is particularly relevant to South African social workers given the country's high rates of violence, poverty, inequality, unemployment, HIV/AIDS, and poor schooling outcomes. Guided by a social constructivist theoretical lens, and located within an interpretive qualitative research design, the aim of the study was to determine whether children's drawings and teacher interviews can differentiate qualitatively between children with positive well-being and those with compromised well-being. Children aged 6–8 years whose parents/caregivers were recipients of Child Support Grants (CSGs) were asked to draw a picture of themselves and their families and teachers were asked about the children's functioning. Findings from triangulation of drawings and interviews suggested that while a firm diagnosis of emotional, behavioral, or cognitive disorder could not be reached, it was possible to differentiate between children with positive well-being and those whose well-being appeared to be compromised by developmental delay, learning difficulties, emotional problems, behavioral problems, and/or social issues. It is therefore recommended that social workers make greater use of children's drawings and educator interviews as assessment tools. However, one should not rely solely on children's drawings, but should rather combine drawings with child and educator interviews. Findings also highlight the need for South African social workers to develop indicators that are culturally and ecologically applicable to African children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a democratic South Africa, a significant number of Black students have gained entry and access to higher education, which is a remarkable improvement. However, as much as the access rate has improved, the success rate of Black students remains low in different universities because of perceived inequalities amongst racial groups. This has resulted in debates about the urgent need for decolonization of South African universities to address the low throughput rates of Black students. Thus, the aim of this study was to understand the reasons for failing among Black social work students at a university in Johannesburg. The study was qualitative in nature, and it used an exploratory-descriptive case study design. Utilizing a semi-structured interview schedule as a research tool, the study employed one-on-one in-depth interviews as a method of data collection with 15 Black third year social work students who were recruited into the study using purposive sampling. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data collected. The main findings from the study showed that failure of Black social work students at a university in Johannesburg was exacerbated by the language used as a medium of instruction, inability to use technology, lack of adequate social and institutional support, and socioeconomic factors. Recommendations are made in terms of programmatic interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many societies, a girl child is often the one who bears the brunt of unplanned pregnancy. In some instances the pregnancy affects their education, since a decision has to be made on whether or not to continue schooling during and after the pregnancy. This study explored the challenges confronting teenage mothers when they reengaged with secondary school education post-pregnancy in Johannesburg. Qualitative interviews were used to collect data from the teen mothers. Data collected was analyzed using thematic analysis methods. Key findings indicated that some educators were hostile toward the teenage mothers, and treated them differently. This was due to the poor comprehension of applicable policies meant to protect the education interest of pregnant learners and teenage mothers in schools. Recommendations are made for the education authorities to ensure that relevant policies are followed by educators when confronted with learner pregnancy related complication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cross sectional qualitative and quantitative pilot survey, using self-administered questionnaire and focus group discussions, was conducted to assess the feasibility of a health promotion programme implemented at the university. About 73 students participated in the survey and the discussion. We examined gender and cultural differences on sexual attitude and behaviour. There was a strong belief that unprotected sex can lead to pregnancy and STIs. Overall participants were not sure if condom use had any negative effects, although female respondents felt that condoms affect the pleasure of sexual intercourse. The results suggest that there is a need for health promotion programmes aimed at young adults, who attend university. The programme should improve general health knowledge, targeting health promotion and sexual risk behaviour among university students. Such a programme would have to consider gender, socio-economic circumstances as well as national and cultural background of the target population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]