Tanzania

Names of social work

Ustawi wa Jamii

Amala Jamii

Contributors: Ibrahimu Hashimu, Iddi Mkojera, Meinrad Haule Lembuka

Definitions of social work in Swahili

Tafsiri ya Jumla ya  Taaluma ya Stadihaki Jamii/Amala Jamii (Social work)

Amala Jamii/Stadihaki (Social Work)  ni utendaji halisi katika weledi na nidhamu  ya taaluma inayo chochea mabadiliko na maendelelo ya  kijamii, mshikamano wa kijamii, na u wezeshaji na  ukombozi wa mtu, familia, vikundi, jamii na nchi. Kanuni za haki ya jamii, haki za binadamu, maendeleo ya pamoja, uwajibikaji wa pamoja  na  kuheshimu tofauti  mbalimbali  miongoni mwetu ni  muhimu sana katika stadihaki jamii/amala jamii. Kwa mujibu wa nadharia za huduma jamii, sayansi za jamii, elimu jamii, utu na maarifa ya asili ya wazawa, stadihaki jamii/amala jamii huhusisha watu, mazingira, utamaduni, miundombinu endelevu na sera za ustawi wa jamii katika kushughulikia ukizani, changamoto na matatizo mbalimbali na kujenga ustawi wa mtu mmoja mmoja, familia, kaya, kikundi, taasisi, jamii, nchi na kikanda. Vile vile Mtu aliyepata mafunzo ya stadihaki jamii/amala jamii anauwezo wa kufanya kazi katika sekta mtambuka kama vile afya, maendeleo, siasa za ushawishi, uchumi, ustawii wa jamii, maafa, unasihi, mipango na uratibu wa miradi N.K. Zaidi ya yote stadihaki jamii/amala jamii inauwezo wa kufanya kazi katika ngazi mbalimbali na kuleta mabadiriko yenye maendeleo ya endelevu wa nchi, kikanda na dunia (Tanzania Association of Social Workers 2015, Maadili Institute 2017 & Meinrad Haule Lembuka 2024).

Training institutions of Social Work

Sn	Name Of Institution	Program Offered	Region
1	The Institute of Social Work	Certificate of Social Work Advance Diploma in Social Work Bachelor of Social Work Master of Social Work	Dar es salaam
2	The Open University of Tanzania	Certificate of social work Diploma of social work Bachelor of social work Master of social work Doctoral in social work	Dar es salaam
3	The University of Dar es salaam	Bachelor of Social Work	Dar es salaam
4	Mbalizi Institute of Health Sciences	Certificate of social work Diploma of social work	Mbeya
5	Kaliua Institute of Community Development	Certificate of social work Diploma of social work	Tabora
6	Hubert Kairuki Memorial University	Certificate of social work Diploma of social work	Dar es salaam
7	Kigoma Training College	Certificate of social work Diploma of social work	Kigoma
8	Mwenge Catholic University	Certificate of social work Diploma of social work Bachelor degree in sociology and social work	Kilimanjaro
9	Kampala International University in Tanzania	Diploma of Social Work Bachelor of Social Work	Dar es salaam
10	Sengerema Health Institute	Certificate of social work Diploma of social work	Musoma
11	Bugando Health Institute	Certificate of social work Diploma of social work	Mwanza
12	University of Dodoma	Certificate of social work Diploma of social work	Dodoma
13	The State University of Zanzibar	Certificate of social work Diploma of social work Bachelor Degree of social work	Zanzibar
14	Zanzibar University	Certificate of social work Diploma of social work Bachelor Degree of social work	Zanzibar
14	The St. John of Dodoma	Certificate of social work Diploma of social work Bachelor Degree of social work	Dodoma
15

Source: Meinrad Haule Lembuka (2024)

Acknowledgements: Thomas Tomic Simbeye, 2023; Meinrad Haule Tembuka, 2024

Organisations and associations of social work

Tanzania Association of Social Workers (TASWO)

How social work started in Tanzania and how it operates currently

Acknowledgements: Thomas Tomic Simbeye, 2023

As you know social work is a helping profession. Thus, it was established in order to help people with various needs. The first President of Tanzania Mwl Julius Kambarage Nyerere initiated the welfare service by following the the socialism ideology.

Currently the social work section in Tanzania is a growing profession and is under the Department of Health.

A social welfare department was established after independence in 1961 with the provision of services to the elderly, persons with disability and children started after the Arusha Declaration in 1967 that reiterated on the need of the disadvantaged to live on the ‘sweat’ of able bodied persons.

Thus, in order for people to understand social work they tried to establish an Institute of Social Work. The establishment of the current Institute of Social Work in 1973 formerly known as National Social Welfare Training Institute gave rise to a professional group of social workers particularly in the government structure.

The Institute started operating in 1974 in rented buildings of the Tanzania Episcopal Council (TEC) at Kurasini Dar es Salaam before moving to the Institute’ present premises at Kijitonyama, Dar es Salaam in 1978. The first programme was an Ordinary Diploma in Social Work, which was designed to address the manpower problem facing the Social Welfare Department. In 1977 the Institute began offering an Advanced Diploma in Social Work. This was necessitated by the need to meet social work professional standards. In 1982 the Institute introduced the certificate course in Labour Studies and later in 1990 an Advanced Diploma in Labour Studies was introduced. The purpose of the course was to train Labour Inspectors and Labour Administrators for the Labour Department

Currently social work is taught in different universities such as University of Dar-es Salaam , University of Dodoma , University of Mzumbe and many others. 

History of social services and social work

Meinrad Haule Lembuka (MSW, MICD), Assistant Lecturer, Department of Sociology and Social Work, Faculty of Social sciences, The Open University of Tanzania – Dar es salaam

Introduction
The history of professional social work education in Tanzania can be traced from pre-colonial Tanganyika. Social welfare education that was practiced across the country before professional social work (and is still done today) basing on the ecology and cultural perspective of Tananzia’s society (Ubuntu). Inherited social welfare knowledge and skills were imparted from one generation to the next generation through storytelling, poems, songs, cave writings and ritual practice etc. Asamoah (2018) related knowledge and practice that was practiced across Africa in a voluntary and mutual basis. This type of social welfare knowledge that capacitated Tanzanians to master their environment through clearing community fields, gender roles, attending sick people, counselling, spiritual services, rules for community peace, maintain acceptable social behaviour, ritual ceremonies, and cultural ethical values (Asamoah, 2018).

The social welfare education in pre-colonial Tanganyika aimed to serve vulnerable groups and people who were in needy. For instance, children were regarded as children of the society and all members of community were obligated to raise or protect any children regardless of the biological relations. Also, this African Ubuntu welfare knowledge and practice was extended to the elderly, widow, poor, sick people, pregnant women, and the disabled in the society etc.

Also, welfare education in pre-colonial Tanganyika was delivered through peer-based approach to specific group, time, and occasion i.e., traditional ritual ceremonies, during natural calamities, marriage ceremony, family, clan, or tribe gathering etc. This knowledge and skills practice is referred as an Ubuntu welfare education practice envisioned to restore human functioning and traditional mutual support to each other in time of need (Ubuntu). The statement above was supported by the African historiography that proposed various channels where existed ethnic structural institutions resembled contemporary economic and social welfare activity of the respective society.

With the coming of the colonialists in search of raw materials, free and cheap labour, and markets as well as areas of investment there was a need to establish social work education with western ideology to serve the colonial populations who resided within African countries including colonial Tanganyika (Mabeyo, 2014). This marked the historical process of importation of professional social work education from the colonial masters and declining of existed African social work education in Tanzania.

After independence of 1961 Tanganyika through African Ubuntu philosophy succeeded into union of two countries namely Tanganyika and Zanzibar (TAN and ZANIA) to form a new Nation of the United Republic of Tanzania. With inherited colonial social welfare system, it facilitated the country to adopt relevant western social work training to provide social welfare services, thus the government took the initiative step to establish the first social work school in 1973 known as National Social Welfare Training Institute that was in Dar es salaam region. National Social Welfare Institute started its program at Kurasini before it was shifted to Kijitonyama premises where it continued to produce a professional group of social workers who served particularly in the government structure (DSW, 2013). It was later named the Institute of Social Work (ISW)

The ISW remained to be a government monopoly social work school over three decades since its establishment in 1973 addressing the problem of inadequate and unqualified labor force in social welfare sector to provide social welfare services to Tanzanians (Jagannathan, 2013), thus strengthening the Ujamaa Ideology of social protection for all. Ujamaa Ideology was based on the context of asocial protection structure that would see Tanzanians remain equal in terms of horizontal development for all. With this context therefore, most of the certificates, diploma and advanced diploma graduates were absorbed by the government through The Department of Social Welfare (ASSWOT, 2014).

Political change of moving out of Ujamaa ideology and socio-economic changes set complex social problems in Tanzania for both urban and rural populations. The social problems included, the social and family disintegration, chronic poverty, rising rate of crimes, alcohol and drug abuse, child labor, HIV & AIDS to mention the few. HIV & AIDS as a social problem resulted at an increase of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC), and HIV & AIDS infected and affected people in need of linkage and monitoring of care and treatment psychosocial support due to stigma and discrimination. These problems increased the demand for social workers in private and public setting while created opportunities for establishment of social work school to meet the market demands (TASWO, 2017).

Therefore, for past 10 years Tanzania experienced mushrooming of social work schools in the country and lack of social work education regulatory mechanism was not in place to accommodate these new schools, fragmented social work curricular and inadequate literature that reflect social work education in Tanzania has necessity for this review.

Brief History of Social Work Education in Tanzania
Historically pre-colonial Tanzanian society like other African societies existed tribal and mutual aid knowledge and practice that cannot be ignored .i.e., social welfare education that embraces ecology and cultural values through different types of mutual aid societies across the continent provided assistance to family members. Some were family or kin-based (the largest category); others were cultural- and/or religious-based (such as rotating credit societies, and service societies) (Midgley, 1997).

This type of social welfare education and practice could not exist over generation during pre-colonial Tanzania society if the knowledge and skills (education) were not properly acquired and transferred to next generation. The African extended family, for example, has always operated as a social welfare system and they continue to address the social welfare needs of a sizeable number of Africans who lack any form of social protection.

The professionalisation of social work training replaced pre-colonial social welfare knowledge and skill in Tanzania. The coming of colonialist influenced the new educational system including social work training in Tanzania which sometimes is referred to as an ‘adopted child’ from colonial parent (Mabeyo, 2014: 127), thus indicating the foreign character of the profession’s origin. The current social work education which is termed as a formal social work training came to replace pre-colonial education practice thus scholars have considered it as profession (with reference to social work ethics, principles, and models etc).

There are several critics that have articulated their concern towards African social work training regarding its western imported package and most of times lacked appropriateness and relevance in addressing social problems in African context. The growing wave of Afrocentric scholars have heeded the call to strive for social work relevance or indigenization of social work training and practice (Mabeyo, 2014).

The experience of social work education in Tanzania like a few other English-speaking African countries, was significantly influenced by the British social work system. In Africa, individuals who wished to train as social workers in the 1950s and early 1960s had little option but to go abroad, mostly to the West. They were thus trained using curricula that had a Western orientation (Lembuka, 2023).

On the history of professionalisation of social work in Tanzania, one cannot exclude the Institute of Social Work as the first and oldest social work institutions in Tanzania established by the National Social Welfare Training Institute Act No. 26 of 1973, it was established to prepare qualified human resources for strengthening the social service delivery structure in Tanzania (ISW, 2010). ISW offered various non degree programs until 2006 where undergraduate of social work studies were launched (DSW, 2013) and to recently Master of Social Work program. All training programmes offered by the Institute are competency based, aiming to equip the trainees with requisite professional knowledge, skills, and competence in their areas of specialization (ISW, 2010).

The turning point of social work training was experienced in the mid of 2000s where other private sectors established social work training institutions in Tanzania with notable schools such as Newman Institute of social work in Kigoma, Kampala International University of Tanzania, Zanzibar University, State University of Zanzibar, Agape college, Hubert Kairuki University and The Open University of Tanzania (TESWEP, 2012). To date, more than 25 training institutions have established social work programs while other institutions demonstrated interest to review their social science curricular into social work curricular.

Tanzania Emerging of Schools of Social work Education Program (TESWEP)
Tanzania experienced the flourishing of social work training institutions following the rapid increase of socio-economic problems that triggered the demand of social work force to deal with social ills. In 1999 the second social work school but the first private owned school was established in Kigoma region under the name of National Institute of Social Work (NISW) as branch of Artevelde Hog School of Belgium. NISW produced advance diploma level students in social work but later in 2010s NISW changed its name to Kigoma Training College. Tanzania Association of Social Workers (TASWO) was revived in 2010 under the umbrella of Twining centre project to advocate for quality of social work education and practice in the country (TESWEP, 2012).

The Social Work Twinning Partnership for Vulnerable Children in Tanzania was established in 2006 to address Tanzania’s immediate and long-term needs for trained social workers to provide care and support to the most vulnerable children in Tanzania. This partnership began with the Tanzania Institute of Social Work (ISW) in collaboration with the Jane Addams College of Social Work and Midwest AIDS Training and Education Centre at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The activities of the project included technical assistance and capacity building to existing and emerging schools of social work as well as other organizations focusing on social work and social welfare development in Tanzania (TASWO, 2015).

In 2011, TASWO established special committee of Tanzania Emerging Schools of Social Work Program (TESWEP) to deal with standardization of the social work education and unite all social work schools in the country. Also, TESWEP continue to operate under TASWO as a component dealing with training and consultation to develop and review social work curricular, conduct key stakeholder meetings, schools’ capacity building, faculty development and online resource knowledge hub that was shared by all social work students and faculty in the country (TASWO, 2015).

By the end of 2021, there were more than 25 schools of social work providing social work education in Tanzania from certificate to doctorate social work programs. These emerged schools of social work facilitate new paradigm shift in social work education and practice that brought both challenges and opportunities in the country.

Challenges
While African continent was experiencing a hot debate concerning relevance of western or colonial social work education in the context of African reality from 1970s (Linda, 2012), Tanzania was not fragment of the debate as there were few social workers and only one government social work training institution prevailed to accommodate the demand of the department of social welfare. For the case of Tanzania since 1973 to 2005 there was monopoly of only one social work school of social work (ISW) and indigenization process of social work training was a slowly process (DSW, 2013). However, despite the escalating of social work schools from the end of 2000s to date still there are social work schools with training package that do not direct replicate African ecology and cultural values. Experience shows that when social work training is not reflecting ecology and culture of that society then automatic faces challenges to manifest its objective towards addressing social, economic, health and political needs.

The social work instruction in Tanzania is still embracing the colonial legacy i.e., theories, models and case studies are western oriented. This postures a serious challenge for students to apply social work competence during field work placement and later the professional intervention after graduation. The fact remained that both social work instruction and practice since colonial time targeted to colonial needs and disregarded African cultural context. According to Mathebane et al (2015) argued that social work profession has been marginalised and viewed by many as contributing to a destruction of local cultures, wisdom, knowledge, and morals, and ineffective and culturally irrelevant for tackling social challenges in non-Western contexts. Despite this notion, social work teaching and practice are very much needed in African nations (Mathebane & Mungai, 2015).

The social work education in Tanzania is fragmented with an influence of inherited colonial structure and inadequate of political will to support the professionalism comparing to other profession like engineering, nursing, accounting or medicine etc., This was observed by Spitzer (2017) that social work schooling in East African countries that most schools of social work in the region share similar constraints such as lack of qualified staff, insufficient resources and inadequate infrastructure, lack of appropriate teaching material and literature, and limited capacities for lecturers to conduct research and engage in academic activities. Higher learning Libraries and related bookstores have inadequate books or literatures that were written and published in country (Spitzer, 2014).

Outdated social work curricular, emerged school of social work since 2010s are still using the old curricular while there are new emerging issues that need to be tackled in the current social work training and practice. While evaluating social work practice and schooling in Africa, Kang’ethe (2014) observed that the profession in some African countries appears to display the following flaws: it continues to follow a curriculum that was crafted by Western world countries that does not adequately match the growth needs of African countries, it is not adequately addressing most of the social ills African countries are experiencing, and is usually eclipsed by other professions such as sociology, psychology and economics. Rankopo (2008) contended that indigenisation of social work learning is also faced with the pressure to train graduates that fit into the global market and context (Osei-Hwedie and Rankopo, 2008).

Indigenisation of social work instruction is at slow pace and still exist a gap between theory (social work education and research) and practice as its faced by most of African countries. The transitional process is slowed down by poor mechanism of checking and balance the social work profession within the legal framework in the country. Social work educators are not envisioned adequate to explore further knowledge with African cultural context to add credibility and fill the existing gaps in social work education and practice. On the other hand, Spitzer (2019) contended that curriculum that the institutions have developed with assistance from foreign professionals need to recognize local approaches that work, existing shortfalls in the practice, contextual cultural underpinnings and the kinds of services required (Spitzer, 2019).

Association of Schools of Social Work in Tanzania (ASSWOT) strive to solicit funds and technical support to develop and review social work curricular that are relevant to Tanzania context. ASSWOT advocates for indigenization of social work education but still there is no social work education council to facilitate the process (ASSWOT, 2015). Tanzania is still learning from other countries in the Sub-Saharan region such as Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, and Botswana as over the years worked hard to unveil an indigenous social work identity that can deliver relevant social development in their countries.

Opportunities
Apart from the challenges that social work education is facing in Tanzania, yet it poses several opportunities that can be utilized for social, health, economy, and policy development I the country and elsewhere in Africa. It is obvious there are many colonial historical influences that have affected the introduction and evolution of social work education and practice in Africa. The emerging of schools of social work is widening the platform of social work elites and open platform to redefine social work education and practice with reference to Tanzanian context. With reference to Kreitzer (2012), who argued on the influences of colonial legacy on existing African social work practice and how it shaped social work schools of social work i.e., the importation of social work profession into Africa and the institutions that struggled to define the social work profession’s place on the continent.

Moving from a solitary social work teaching institution in the country from early 1970s to 12 social works schools in early 2010s has given social work educators an opportunity for the first time to gather and formulate a steering committee to harmonise key issues in social work education in Tanzania program known as Tanzania emerging schools of social work education Program-TESWEP (TASWO, 2015). TESWEP was a first initiative as a syndicate of emerging schools of social work to spearhead the need to upgrade social work instruction in the country. Later, TESWEP was transformed into Association of Schools of Social Work in Tanzania (ASSWOT).

Social work is an evidence-based practice that requires research to inform educators and practitioners, following the increased social work schools evidently have shown how Tanzanian social work educators and practitioners have been engaged in various social work research (DSW, 2013). Social work educators continued to conduct research that improve social work knowledge and contribute on the indigenization of social work education and practice in the country. Also, schools of social work produce abundant of social work elites that engage in research that necessity for the accomplishment of social work value of competence (Lembuka, 2023).

Development of national social work field work manual for certificate, diploma and graduate students that provide a technical guidance on conducting social work field practice to all social work schools. The two field work manuals were developed in 2016 and 2018 by the Ministry of Health Community Development Gender Elderly and Children (MoHCDGEC) in collaboration with ASSWOT and TASWO under the financial support of American International Health Alliance (AIHA-TZ). These manuals have continued to help students to make necessary preparations of field placement and understand the connection between classroom learning and actual practice. Also, these field work manuals guide academicians and social work agency supervisors on professional supervision to the field work students (TASWO, 2017).

Schools of social work have contributed on the indigenization process of social work education in the country whereby for the first time the country whiteness the social work literature with indigenous components i.e., cultural values and African ecology. This was emphasized by Twikirize (2019) that the process of developing indigenous knowledge and cultural competence cannot just start with practice but rather with research and indigenised education (Twikirize, 2019).

By 2010 there were only three Doctorate in social work and few master level faculty within schools of social work and schools that posed a challenge in social work education development. Thus, in 2012 TESWEP secured scholarships for faculty development and each school had opportunity to appoint qualified faculty member for further studies. Also, this was an opportunity for non-social work faculty to acquire social work undergraduate and graduate studies (TESWEP, 2012).

Creation of linkage between social work research, theory and training that aim to integrate these knowledges and practices into the mainstream, teach them in the classroom, and competently apply them in practice. In the end, the gap between theory (social work education and research) and practice would be narrowed as argued by Healy (2014). Reflexivity would ensure that social work educators are able to investigate new knowledge that is adding credence to the practice and existing gaps that could be incorporated into the curriculum (TASWO, 2017).

Tanzania Association of Social Workers (TASWO) and TESWEP with support from social work stakeholders developed a social work knowledge hub in Swahili is known as “Kiota cha Ustawi wa Jamii” that facilitate an opportunity for social work educators and social work students to interact, share and exchange social work information from different parts of the World. Also, this social work knowledge hub provides opportunity for social work debates and social work online resources for both social work training and practice (TESWEP, 2012).

Social workers graduate with macro social work competence to advocate and practice social policies that improve social welfare and increases political will in social work-related matters in the country. TASWO is proudly utilising on the movement of developing a national comprehensive social welfare policy and social work council of Tanzania. This was never taken as an agenda since national independent but following amplified social work workforce has necessity this process. Social workers are competent enough to facilitate police change for social welfare development ASSWOT formerly known as TESWEP has advocated and participated for social welfare and social work policy review and development in the country. According to Midgley (1996a) argued that social work educators have a critical role to play in social policy formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and that their contribution can have a constructive impression on the social, political, health and economic advancement in the country (Midgley, 1996a).

Increasing of social work schools has provided a relief to the governmental agency of department of social welfare which is stationed within different ministries in the country. The department of social welfare since its establishment in 1940s by British colonial rule experienced of shortage of social welfare workers. With increase of social work graduates provide prospect to the one of the largest single employers of social workers and largest provider of social work training placements for students in Tanzania (TASWO, 2017).

Reviewing social welfare scheme of service became unavoidable to accommodate new social work graduates within scheme of service i.e., employees with bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and other related post graduate studies that were not trained within the country before. An increased of social workers and in-service trained social workers in the government employment system and other social related services has necessity the review of social welfare scheme of service in 2017 to replace the former 2009 social welfare scheme of service (TASWO, 2017).

The existing curricular in the schools of social work in the country have the opportunity for curricular review either partial or full review, this is basing on the Tanzania Commission for University (TCU) and National Accreditation Council for Technical Education (NACTE) guidelines that after three to five years of utilization of approved curricular, training institution can review the said curricular (ASSWOT, 2014). This is an open opportunity for indigenization of social work education and integration of more African values and models like Ubuntu. Moreover, curricula review process if its properly used, then it will render an opportunity for mobilizing relevant key stakeholders to go through this process of examining assumptions, critiquing, and building culturally relevant social work curricular.

The emerged schools of social work in Tanzania are plausible as it is widening the opportunities of social work professionalism and it has brought an alarming vital call to all social work stakeholders to develop and review Tanzanian social work curricular and respective training education that is further relevant with Tanzania’s ecology and culture i.e., Ubuntu model. More important, the government has continued to engage in social work education and work closely with TASWO and ASSWOT has yield tremendous results in standardization of social work education in the country. Despite the above opportunities, still social work education face various challenges including outdated curricular that have component of inherited colonial competence that are irrelevant with Tanzanian context, some social work schools have faculty members who lack social work education, still lack of African theories and models in the training package.

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Structure of social work and welfare

The department right now is under the Ministry of Social Welfare Services. But also social work department is under the Commissioner of Social Welfare.

We have Regional Social Welfare Officers who run each region, Tanzania has 26 regions, there forever these regional social welfare officers in short term they are named as RSWO’s.

We have District/Town Social welfare officer who runs each district, Town council, and Municipal council. In Tanzania we have more than 184 councils and each council has Social worker and their subordinates  (DSWO, TSWO, MCSWO).

Also we have social work in ward level. In Tanzania general we have more than 1000 wards some have a social worker but some they don’t have 

Generally, in Tanzania we have more than 1000 social workers who are employed by the government and 200 who are working in private sector.

Social work professionals established an association which is known as Tanzania Social Work Organsiation (TASWO). The organization each year conducts the annual general meeting which comprise all social workers in Tanzania, they discuss various issues so as to upgrade the organization

TASWO is a professional association for Social Workers with zonal offices opened in order to create more participation and stimulate growth of social work at the grassroots together with Social Work Club (SOWOC), the move for globally change is realized through difference programs and service provided by student to save community in need, also being a part of practical learning to student pursue social work.

TASWO, Department of Social Work (DSW) and Institute of Social Work (ISW) are working on the establishment of a Social Work Council in Tanzania A bill is on the process, for establishing the SWC for regulating social work practice and education which will spearhead social work profession to a great extent.

Template: Code of ethics

Guiding Principles for Social Work Codes of Ethics

Each country (actually most) countries have created or adopted a Code of Ethics for social work. Most codes were developed from a colonial point of view and should be revised. In case where there are no Codes, they should be developed. In revising or developing ethics codes, the following broad principles apply:

1. Ethics are not universal, if we have to use ethics from other societies, then this has to be acknowledged, and it has to reciprocal, meaning we can’t borrow more than others are borrowing from us, and we cant be forced to borrow what does not fit our situation.
2. However, even if we use adopt ethics from others, we should have ours that are original.
3. Ethics should be based on a society’s philosophy and values.
4. Ethics and ethics codes that resulted from colonisation or neo-colonisation should be revised.
5. Ethics apply in training and education; publishing and research; and practice; collaboration; leadership and administration.
6. Ethics should be expressed and written in a language understood by the people we serve.

Specific ethical principles

1. Philosophically grounded ethics.
2. Decolonised ethics.
3. Indigenous ethics.
4. Developmental ethics.
5. Appropriate language.

A code of ethics should contain the following:

1. The philosophy on which the ethics are founded.
2. A list of the values from which the ethics are derived.
3. A list of the principles on which the ethics are created and will be implemented.
4. To whom the ethics apply.
5. Sanctions that will be applied when ethics have been broken.
6. How those sanctioned will appeal.

Philosophy

African ethics are founded on Ubuntu philosophy. Ubuntu applies at these levels:

1. Individual level
2. Family level
3. Village level
4. Community level
5. Society level
6. State level
7. Continental level (African level)
8. Global level

Values

Level of Ubuntu	Examples of Values	I shall abide by the following ethics in my learning, teaching, practice, research, collaboration, leadership or administration:
Individual level	Upenyu – valuing life Shosholoza – resilience Kuumba – creativity Ushavi – workmanship, enterprising  Unyanzvi – professionalism Sankofa – look back to inform the present and future Ruremekedzo or Heshima	I shall not cause harm, disease, impairment or loss of life. I shall promote resilience. I shall promote creativity not imitation I shall conduct myself professionally. I shall value history in my work. I shall be respectful. I shall promote entrepreneurship and hard work.
Family level	Umhuri – familyhood, blood relations Ukama, Harambee – familyhood, blood relations Musha – permanent home in ancestral lands	I shall protect families and marriages. I shall promote best interests of the family in the work that I do. I shall value blood relations. I shall value people’s permanent homes. I shall value people’s ancestral lands and heritage.
Village level	Kagisano – good neighbourliness Ujima – collective responsibility Kuumba – mentoring	I shall promote harmony.
Community level	Ujamaa – familyhood or communityhood Simunye – strengths in numbers, we are one	The ethic is promote cooperation and collectivism. I shall promote justice. I shall respect local protocols.
Society level	Umuganda – service to others Ururami, Ubulungiswa, Ubutabera – justice Itorero – good members of society, and a strong sense of cultural values and leadership skills Umoja – unity, peace and harmony	I shall promote oneness. Where harm has happened, I shall promote fair compensation. I shall promote empowerment not dependence. I shall respect cultures. I shall be a good leader. I shall promote unity, peace and harmony.
State/country level	Ubunyarwanda – nationhood Utungamiri – leadership	I shall promote good leadership. I shall promote people-centered leadership
Continental level (African level)	Uhuru – liberty/independence/freedom Urithi, Nhaka – inheritance	I shall promote independence
Spiritual level	Uroho – spiritual connectedness	I shall promote holism/Wholism. I shall promote spiritual connectedness.
Environmental level	Umachobane – sustainability	I shall promote sustainability.
Global level	Ururami, Ubulungiswa, Ubutabera – justice Umoja – unity, peace and harmony Uhuru – liberty/independence/freedom Ujima – collective responsibility Kurutsisa – decolonisation	I shall promote justice. I shall decolonise my practice research and learning. The ethic is liberate and protect African liberation.

To whom ethics apply:

1. Student social workers
2. Registered and unregistered social workers
3. Lecturers
4. Researchers
5. Leaders e.g. supervisors, managers, administrators and directors

Some ethics will apply to

1. Training administrators who are not social workers
2. Librarians who are not social workers
3. Research leaders who are not social workers

Monitoring ethics

1. Each person shall be responsible for ethical conduct and shall self-report in case on breaches or seek advice to prevent breaches
2. Each person shall look after another, advice and report
3. Each association shall look after members
4. Each country or state shall
5. Each community shall
6. Each client shall

Sanctions

When an ethic has been breached sanctions include:

1. Compensation
2. Re-training
3. De-registration
4. Suspension
5. Asking for forgiveness
6. Restitution
7. Court trial (from family court, village court, community court, state court, African court or global court)
8. Dismissal from work

Appeals

The appeal can be done to reduce the sanction, compensation, sentence or judgement.

Template: Roles of associations

Template: Structure of social development institutions

Please provide any additional information

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If you have information on social work and development about this country, please email asw@africasocialwork.net