ABSTRACT
I can safely say that I have always been interested in social work. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, I was continually aware of the social divide between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’. Even though I come from a middle-class family, I was never blind to the plight of the majority of Zimbabweans living in both the rural and urban areas. As if poverty does not present enough challenges, the Zimbabwean population has been plagued by a high incidence of HIV/AIDS since the 1980s. It is currently estimated that one in ten of the population is living with HIV.1 In the absence of an adequate social welfare and health care system, the effects have been devastating. In response, my parents always demonstrated an incredible level of social consciousness and responsibility in assisting wherever possible. This may go some way towards explaining why four of their children chose to become social workers in different countries and at different stages in our lives.
