North–South social work partnership: strengthening the development of social work in Rwanda

Abstract

Social work education in many parts of Africa is underdeveloped. Western theories dominate curricula and practices at the expense of indigenous knowledge. Canadian and Rwandan social work researchers created a partnership to strengthen social work education and practice at the University of Rwanda (UR). This paper reports the findings of a needs assessment that sought to identify the key issues facing Rwandans in the communities surrounding UR and professional needs in training competent undergraduate (Bachelor of Social Work) students. After reviewing the data, we identified collective trauma following the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, extreme poverty and substance abuse to be major issues. Professional needs included trained faculty and field supervisors and adequate means to support students' field placement. A group of academic and community stakeholders confirmed these findings and supported the creation of a center to facilitate training, practice, and research. The study results inform social work knowledge, education and practice in Rwanda and internationally.

Educational approaches in African social work: Implications for U.S. social work training

“…The partnership between Canadian and Rwandan social work researchers to strengthen social work education and practice in Rwanda represents a key milestone in the development of social work on the continent (King, Dudziak, and Kalinganire, 2014). This North-South collaboration aimed to address the professional needs of Rwandan social workers and the challenges faced by communities, such as collective trauma, poverty, and substance abuse.…”