Strengthened by challenges: the path of the social work education in Ethiopia

ABSTRACT

Although the situations in many African countries require the presence of social workers, social work education is not yet well established in many parts of the Continent. The lack of social work educators presents a significant challenge to developing and running social work education programs. Hence, understanding how a social work education program can be opened despite such a shortage is very important. This article presents innovative strategies for developing a social work education program when local social work educators are not in place. It documents how Ethiopian graduate students assumed academic roles with the support of international social work faculty to manage and implement a social work education program. In 15 years, this initial program has resulted in the blossoming of social work education in Ethiopia, with 12 other universities and colleges currently offering social work degrees. Yet there have been many challenges along the way to this success. How these challenges became opportunities is instructive. This article documents the strategies used to overcome these challenges and make the School of Social Work at Addis Ababa University a sustainable national model. Lessons for social work educators and those interested in starting social work education programs are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Block teaching model
• Ethiopia
• innovative strategies
• international faculty
• social work education
• student engagement

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank School of Social Work at Addis Ababa University for allowing us to conduct this research and provide pertinent data. Our heartfelt gratitude goes to the participants of this research. We are also thankful to Prof. Sandy Wexler for her unreserved support in reading, commenting, and editing on the draft and final manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ashenafi Hagos Baynesagn

Ashenafi Hagos Baynesagn holds a Ph.D. in Social Work and Social Development and currently works as Assistant Professor in the Social Work School at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. He has held various positions such as Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Social Work between 2007 and 2009; Assistant Dean of the Graduate School of Social Work between 2010 and 2012; Graduate Program Coordinator between 2013 and 2014; and Head of The School between 2014 and 2016. As part of University Academic Services, Dr. Ashenafi has also served in various committees. He has a wealth of international experience interacting and contributing to various social work spheres as a Visiting Social Work Educator at the University of Victoria (Canada), Congo Brazzaville,  the University of Liverpool. (England), Sapir College of Israel, and Management Center Innsbruck of Austria. He also engaged in teaching and research collaboration in Social Work Curriculum development for 12 Universities and Colleges in Tanzania, Supporting Professional Social Work Association Development in Tanzania, and Visiting Social Work Educator at the University of Victoria, Canada.

Tasse Abye

Tasse Abye hold a Ph.D. from The “Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales of Paris” and work presently as Chief of Mission, Project TELEMA Congo Brazzaville at the Ministry of Social and Humanitarian Affairs. He is also an Associate Researcher at the “Institut des mondes africains” IMAF, Paris France, and UCLA CBC, United States. He has been on secondment by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development of France to higher education institutions and education ministries in the United of Comoros, Mauritania, and Ethiopia. As an engaged educator, Abye served as a member of the Board of International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) for several years. He has been the President of IASSW from 2004 to 2008, Chair of the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social development 2010–2014 and 2020–2030, and Chair of the International Steering Committee for the Joint World Conference on Social Work and Social Development of Melbourne 2014. For his dedication to social work education around the world, Tassé has been awarded the Katherine A. Kendal Award, by the International Association of Schools of Social Work and an honorary doctor for the VID University, Oslo, Norway.

Emebet Mulugeta

Emebet Mulugeta is a lecturer at the School of Social Work, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, and a consultant on issues related to vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in general and children and women in particular. Emebet holds a Ph.D. in Social Work Social Development and MA Degree in Social Work from the School of Social Work, and a BA Degree in Sociology and Social Administration from College of Social Sciences, Addis Ababa University. Besides teaching and research responsibility, Emebet is also involved in different community service activities aiming to capacitate different government and civil society organizations working for the respect of the rights of children and women. Emebet has worked as a “social worker” for close to 20 years with voiceless segments of the society and also as an adult interactive training facilitator for staffs of different organizations ranging from social workers/psychologists, judges and persecutors, police, health professionals, program managers/staff, religious leaders, community organizers, school going and out of school children, etc.

Zena Berhanu

Zena Berhanu (Ph.D.) is an Assistant Professor of Social Work and Social Development at Addis Ababa University, College of Social Sciences, School of Social Work, Ethiopia. He has served the School in teaching, advising, and supervising undergrad and graduate students for 14 years. His main interests include social policy practice, HIV social work, healthcare social work, and understanding religion and spirituality and its integration to social work.