Community/Social Action Groupwork in Indigenous and Rural Communities Zimbabwe Summer 2019

Abstract

In June 2018, I was fortunate enough to attend and present at the IASWG Symposium at Kruger National Park in South Africa. It was a truly amazing experience. However, in July of 2019 I was once again able to return to the African continent. This time to visit Zimbabwe. For the past four years, my friend and School Principal Chris Labbe, had been visiting and working with the IMVELO organization to raise funds for the following three schools: Ngamo Primary School, Mlevu Primary School and St Joseph’s Primary School.These three schools are located in the indigenous and rural rural villages of Hwanga National Park. During the course of the visits to these three Schools, my wife Peg McGovern and I were able to observe the incredible work that was being done between IMVELO and the local communities. The overarching theme of the IASWG 2018 symposium had been “Groupwork in Communities.” On my visit to Hwanga, I witnessed the impact of Groupwork in these indigenous and rural communities. On my return home, I reviewed the Groupwork literature, and it reinforced what I observed and encountered in Zimbabwe. The wonderful sense of community, sustainability, cooperation, integration of programs, social action and empowerment. It truly was an amazing experience and a trip of a lifetime.