Sakhisizwe -Building the Nation - Bou Die Nasie

Koliswa is a gender-based femicide hotspot social worker employed by the National Institute Community Development and Management together with the National Department of Social Development. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work with honours from Nelson Mandela University. She is one of the 3 social workers in the Western Cape that deals with cases of domestic and gender-based violence (GBV). She is currently situated at Saartjie Baartman centre, a safe home in Athlone, where she provides psychosocial support services to victims of crime and violence within the allocated GBV hotspot areas .  Social work is a very broad field and supports all kinds of people and various ages, from individuals and families to entire communities including the vulnerable. Social workers are trained to provide support in any environment, but there may be a specific field each social worker is more skilled in and passionate about. In Koliswa’s case, it is gender-based violence.  Gender-based v...

On February 1, we had the pleasure of speaking to Bulelani Futshane from Nal’ibali, the national read for enjoyment campaign to celebrate World Read Aloud Day (WRAD). Nal’ibali calls on all South Africans to join them in reading aloud to the children in their lives on WRAD.  Bulelani shares that World Read Aloud Day was established to improve literacy rates in South Africa. Reading to children also promotes their imagination and creativity which are critical in child development.   Nal’ibali encourages implementing home languages to promote a life-long reading culture. Nal’ibali stories are written in all 11 official South Africa languages and over the years, Nal’ibali has evolved to be inclusive of all populations, even the deaf.  At the end of the interview, Bulelani read us a short excerpt from the story “Everyday’s a Story” by Tumisang Shongwe.  To get involved, visit www.nalibali.org   +27 (0)21 448 6000