13 March 2026  |  World Social Work Day

Hosted by Mtandao – African Social Work and Development Network (ASWDNET) and the Association of Schools of Social Work in Africa (ASSWA)

Overview

The Ubuntu Pedagogy Masterclass on Harambee was hosted by ASWDNET and ASSWA on 13 March 2026 to commemorate World Social Work Day. The event was attended by 94 participants. An evaluation form was made available for seven days following the event, and 21 responses were received. This report presents a summary of those responses, covering overall ratings, suggestions for improvement, highlights from the session, and intentions to attend future masterclasses.

Country representation

Respondents came from 13 countries across Africa, Europe, Latin America, and North America:

1. Participant ratings

Participants were asked to rate their overall experience out of 10. The average rating was 8.90/10.

• Participant 1 (Zimbabwe): 10/10
• Participant 2 (Kenya): 8/10
• Participant 3 (Kenya): 8/10
• Participant 4 (South Africa): 7/10
• Participant 5 (Zimbabwe): 9/10
• Participant 6 (Zimbabwe): 10/10
• Participant 7 (United States): 8/10
• Participant 8 (Spain): 9/10
• Participant 9 (Latvia): 8/10
• Participant 10 (Nigeria): 10/10
• Participant 11 (Sweden): 8/10
• Participant 12 (United Kingdom): 9/10
• Participant 13 (Eswatini): 9/10
• Participant 14 (South Africa): 10/10
• Participant 15 (Romania): 10/10
• Participant 16 (Zimbabwe): 9/10
• Participant 17 (Sweden): 10/10
• Participant 18 (Nigeria): 10/10
• Participant 19 (Senegal): 7/10
• Participant 20 (Ecuador): 8/10
• Participant 21 (South Africa): 10/10

2. Suggestions for improvement

Participants were asked: “How could we improve?” The following responses were provided:

“While those who registered to attend the masterclass were a number, one is not sure why just a few % attended. Was it a timing issue?”  — Participant 2, Kenya

“The presentation was very informative; however I felt like the time was little.”  — Participant 4, South Africa

“There is a need to allocate more time to presenters so that they are able to clearly and fully explain the concepts without feeling pressured by time limitations. This would allow them to elaborate more on key ideas and also provide deeper explanations that would enhance the participants’ understanding of the topic being presented.”  — Participant 5, Zimbabwe

“Thank you for the insightful and inspiring Social Work and Development Masterclass. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to participate in this masterclass. To improve, I only suggest more interaction time.”  — Participant 6, Zimbabwe

“No suggestions for improvement. I thought it was a great class.”  — Participant 7, United States

“Many people writing in the chat at the same time.”  — Participant 8, Spain

“Maybe 5 minutes for a speaker is not enough. It was difficult to follow and make notes, because everyone rushed through slides at high speed. Maybe the masterclass can be longer and involve also some workshop format with discussions among participants or group work?”  — Participant 9, Latvia

“I’d like to think that a later time would have attracted more participants, as most individuals are basically trying to make their way to work at the time the meeting started.”  — Participant 10, Nigeria

“Very little. At one point someone in the audience unmuted and was making noise over one of the speakers which was slightly distracting. However, this is a very minor issue.”  — Participant 12, United Kingdom

“Although it was understandable that a set time for the meeting duration was given, I feel it is necessary to allot a little more time towards the entire meeting so speakers are able to fully go into the content they are presenting, providing more knowledge and information.”  — Participant 13, Eswatini

“Today’s event was good, informative and impressive. However, I wish you can improve next time by forming small group discussions in your meetings to enhance participation, full engagement and better experience so that everyone voices out their ideas, opinions and perspectives.”  — Participant 14, South Africa

“The overall experience is positive, but I believe communication and clarity of information could be improved. It would be helpful to have more frequent updates or more detailed instructions for certain processes.”  — Participant 15, Romania

“Future sessions could allocate more time for interactive discussions and participant engagement, as participants may wish to share experiences on how principles such as Ubuntu and Harambee can be applied in social work practice. In addition, incorporating breakout group discussions or reflective activities could allow participants to explore how Ubuntu-based approaches can be integrated into community development, policy and social service delivery.”  — Participant 16, Zimbabwe

“It would be good to end with a group exercise to give the knowledge already shared more depth.”  — Participant 17, Sweden

“Everything went well and I like the fact that everyone was included and the time moderation.”  — Participant 18, Nigeria

“Revoir les horaires.”  — Participant 19, Senegal

“Sumar traducción simultánea, habilitando en la plataforma de zoom. (Add simultaneous translation, enabling it on the Zoom platform.)”  — Participant 20, Ecuador

“Extent time.”  — Participant 21, South Africa

3. Best aspects of the masterclass

Participants were asked: “What were the best aspects today?” The following highlights were shared:

“The class deepened my understanding of how concepts like Ubuntu and collective responsibility can be applied as practical tools for healing and community organizing. The experience challenged my own assumptions about “best practices” and instilled a deep sense of humility and respect for local knowledge. It renewed my passion for social work by reminding me of the power of community pulling together to create change. In essence, the master class taught me how to work with a community’s inherent strengths, positioning me to be a more effective, respectful, and culturally competent social worker.”  — Participant 1, Zimbabwe

“Sharing of experiences was useful!”  — Participant 2, Kenya

“It was gaining insights on how the Ubuntu principle helps us as social workers to take into account indigenous knowledge when working with diverse communities.”  — Participant 4, South Africa

“All presenters demonstrated a strong understanding of the concepts and explained them very well. They also supported their presentations with practical examples that helped us relate and familiarize our experiences with the topic. The presenters were very audible, and their presentations were clearly visible, which made it easier to follow and understand the discussions. Overall, it was a very good and enlightening session that left us motivated and eager to attend more sessions in the future. #harambee — collective action for societal transformation.”  — Participant 5, Zimbabwe

“I really liked the discussion format of the Master Class. In addition, the Master Class was very well organized, the visuals were excellent, and the speakers were knowledgeable and engaging. I appreciated learning about the connections between Ubuntu and Harambee.”  — Participant 7, United States

“Information provided, panelists, people who attended, quality of presentations.”  — Participant 8, Spain

“Diversity of speakers, their knowledge of the topic. In Latvia we do not know much about social work in Africa or traditional philosophy like Ubuntu or Harambee, so all of it was new for me and very interesting.”  — Participant 9, Latvia

“Excellent sessions and great presenters. Active participants as well.”  — Participant 10, Nigeria

“It was really giving. I already had some knowledge about Ubuntu but this one helped me understand even more about Africa as a whole. I thought the term is used mostly in South Africa due to the fact I did my internship there and it was the first time I heard the term there.”  — Participant 11, Sweden

“I really enjoyed the variety of speakers. They worked to complement each other’s content and offered different points of view. Having speakers from different parts of Africa was great. As someone from outside of Africa this gave me a strong positive view of Harambee and it shows how a principle can work across a wide variety of countries and cultures. I will be reflecting on this and how I can relate it to the UK context.”  — Participant 12, United Kingdom

“The speakers were very knowledgeable on the concept of Harambee and thus were able to provide key insights on the field and its applications on the ground. The question and answer session afterwards was also very enlightening as well.”  — Participant 13, Eswatini

“The Harambee topic was amazing, it was my first time hearing the name “Harambee” and I found the topic very interesting because it encompasses all ideologies, knowledge and practice of social work in one. I have no doubt that Harambee will guide and deliver positive social change in different African societies.”  — Participant 14, South Africa

“The useful information and the opportunity to learn new things.”  — Participant 15, Romania

“One of the most valuable aspects of the session was the thought-provoking discussion on the relationship between Ubuntu and Harambee, particularly the emphasis on how Harambee operates at a broader societal or macro level to mobilize collective action for social change. The facilitators clearly articulated how these African philosophies can inform social work practice, community mobilisation and social transformation. It was also helpful that the facilitators indicated sharing reading materials and summaries after the session, as this can help participants continue reflecting on the concepts discussed.”  — Participant 16, Zimbabwe

“The excitement of the positivity on Ubuntu, but also a historical example.”  — Participant 17, Sweden

“Every aspect was insightful for me.”  — Participant 18, Nigeria

“Le partage d’expériences.”  — Participant 19, Senegal

“El compartir experiencias sentidas de los panelistas. (The sharing of heartfelt experiences by the panelists.)”  — Participant 20, Ecuador

“As much as Harambee operates at a more broader societal level, it can also be applied at a micro level.”  — Participant 21, South Africa

4. Intentions to attend the next masterclass

Participants were asked whether they intend to attend the next masterclass. Responses are summarised below:

Will attend (11)

• Participant 1 — Zimbabwe
• Participant 2 — Kenya
• Participant 4 — South Africa
• Participant 5 — Zimbabwe
• Participant 6 — Zimbabwe
• Participant 13 — Eswatini
• Participant 14 — South Africa
• Participant 16 — Zimbabwe
• Participant 18 — Nigeria
• Participant 20 — Ecuador
• Participant 21 — South Africa

Probably attend (5)

• Participant 7 — United States
• Participant 9 — Latvia
• Participant 12 — United Kingdom
• Participant 15 — Romania
• Participant 17 — Sweden

Do not know (1)

Participant 11 — Sweden

No response (3)

• Participant 8 — Spain
• Participant 10 — Nigeria
• Participant 19 — Senegal

5. Analysis

Overall satisfaction

The masterclass received an average rating of 8.90/10 across 21 respondents, reflecting a strong level of overall satisfaction. The majority of participants rated the session 9 or 10 out of 10. Only three respondents awarded 7/10, and none rated below this threshold, underscoring the high quality of the event.

Recurring themes in suggestions for improvement

The most prominent area for improvement was time allocation. Participants consistently expressed that the session felt rushed, with presenters constrained by time limits and insufficient space for in-depth exploration of the content. Multiple respondents called for longer sessions or more time per speaker.

The second most common suggestion was the incorporation of interactive and participatory elements. Participants recommended breakout groups, small group discussions, and reflective activities to deepen engagement and allow participants to share lived experiences and contextualise Ubuntu and Harambee within their own practice.

A small number of participants raised logistical matters, including the need for simultaneous translation (Participants 20 and 19), clearer communication ahead of sessions, and a more accessible meeting time to improve turnout.

Highlights and strengths

Participants overwhelmingly praised the quality and diversity of the speakers, noting that presenters from across Africa enriched the learning experience and demonstrated the broad applicability of Harambee as a philosophy. Several respondents highlighted the practical relevance of the content, particularly the discussion of Ubuntu and Harambee in relation to social work practice, community mobilisation, and social transformation.

The peer learning dimension — the sharing of lived experiences by panelists — was frequently cited as one of the most valuable aspects of the session. International participants from Europe and the Americas expressed that the masterclass significantly deepened their understanding of African indigenous knowledge systems and prompted personal reflection on how these principles might be applied in their own contexts.

Interest in future sessions

Interest in future masterclasses was high. Of the 20 unique respondents, 11 confirmed they will attend the next session and 5 indicated they would probably attend. Only 1 expressed uncertainty, and 3 did not respond to this question, suggesting strong momentum and sustained participant investment in the masterclass series.

Conclusion

The Ubuntu Pedagogy Masterclass on Harambee was a well-received event that successfully introduced and deepened participants’ engagement with African collective philosophy and its relevance to social work and community development. The breadth of geographic representation — spanning 13 countries across Africa, Europe, Latin America, and North America — speaks to the global resonance of the themes explored. To build on this success, future sessions should consider extending the session duration, incorporating structured interactive components, and providing simultaneous translation to ensure more equitable participation.

This report was compiled with the assistance of Claude (Anthropic AI) based on evaluation responses submitted by participants.