ABSTRACT
As a relatively new profession in Malawi, the challenges for establishing social work as a profession are being driven by the social work community. Outlining the political, economic, and social issues impacting the development of professional social work, this chapter will outline the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges impacting on current and future developments for social work practice and education. The chapter examines the impact of colonisation and a concern for decolonisation, as indigenous worldviews, epistemologies, knowledge, and dialogues evident in teaching and learning, as indicated through education rooted in the principles and practice of Ubuntu. Drawing on the authors’ experiences of training qualified social workers as practice educators in Malawi, this chapter examines ‘practice education’ through a colonisation-decolonisation lens of knowledge and practice and the emerging issues for decolonised and developmental social work for student learning in practice. It examines how decolonisation and Ubuntu can bring an alternative critical angle to teaching and learning for social work educators and for practice educators and their role with student social workers. It highlights the implications for knowledge exchange, as a multidirectional process; as critical for consideration of global challenges, and their impact on local practice; and as a critical, reflective process.
Monga ntchito yatsopano ku Malawi, zovuta zokhazikitsa ntchito za chisamaliro cha anthu zikuyendetsedwa ndi gulu la anthu ogwira ntchitozi. Pofotokoza za ndale, zachuma ndi chikhalidwe cha anthu zomwe zimakhudza chitukuko cha ntchito za chisamaliro ch anthu, mutuwu udzalongosola mphamvu, zofooka, mwayi ndi zovuta zomwe zimakhudza zomwe zikuchitika panopa komanso zamtsogolo za ntchito yachisamaliro cha anthu ndi maphunziro ake. Izi zikuwonetsa kufunikira kozindikira kugwirizana kwa banja, dera ndi chilengedwe monga magwero a chidziwitso komanso kuchotsa utsamunda, monga malingaliro adziko, mamvekedwe, chidziwitso, ndi zokambirana zowonekera pophunzitsa ndi kuphunzira, mwachitsanzo monga momwe zimasonyezedwera kupyolera mu maphunziro ozikidwa pa mfundo ndi machitidwe a Ubuntu. Pogwiritsa ntchito zomwe alembi adakumana nazo pophunzitsa anthu ogwira ntchito zochisamaliro cha anthu kuti akhale othandizira kuphunzitsa ntchitoyi mmadera ku Malawi, mutu uno ukuwunika 'maphunziro a ntchito za chisamaliro cha anthu m’madera kudzera mu chidziwitso ndi machitidwe a chitsamunda - ufulu ndi zomwe zikutulukapo za kuchotsa utsamunda komanso ntchito ya chisamaliro cha anthu yotukula miyoyo kwa ophunzira ntchitoyi m’madera. Mutuwu ukuyang'ana momwe kuchotsa maganizidwe autsamunda ndi ubuntu zingabweretse njira ina yofunikira pakuphunzitsidwe ka kwa aphunzitsi a, ogwira ntchito zachitsamaliro cha anthu, komanso kwa ophunzitsa m’madera pamene agmira ntchito yawo. Mutuwu ukuwunikira zotsatira za kupitiriza kwa maphunziro a aphunzitsi a ntchito zachisamaliro cha anthu m’madera a m'Malawi, komanso zomwe zingakhudze maiko ena.
