Tebogo Morokane, originally from the North-West Province, started working as a Social Worker for a non-profit organization (NPO) under a substance abuse programme. Later, she moved to join the Gauteng Department of Social Development in the West Rand Region as a social worker.
Morokane has over two decades of experience in the profession, moving in different ranks in both the Gauteng and North-West provincial governments.
She says she enjoys helping people, which is inspired by her background in rural areas where poverty and unemployment are rife.
Currently, she specializes in clinical social work and is a probation officer with the necessary qualifications. She also trains and mentors the university students at the University of Pretoria.
As a social worker, Morokane has worked with different cases in the fields of child protection, substance abuse, and older persons, including the presentation of cases at the high court.
She worked with NPOs, particularly those who provide services to victims of gender-based violence (GBV), and she has also helped to established one-stop centers, victim-friendly facilities, TTCs, and shelters for human trafficking victims.
Morokane’s approach and philosophy when working with clients is that, as Social Workers, she believes they must capitalize on the client’s strengths for them to lead their own lives.
In a developmental approach, they must teach communities how to fish for themselves and be sustainable, while a client-centered approach requires them to consider Batho Pele principles whenever they engage clients as Social Workers.
Morokane said “it is important as social workers to embrace social, economic, and political changes as change agents” when asked how she integrates the social justice principle into practice.
“Social work is emotionally demanding, and we prioritize ourselves and believe we come first; therefore, we recharge ourselves through consulting with medical professionals,” added Morokane.
In her spare time, Morokane reads journals, and she also likes to write a lot. She says one day she will pursue writing articles on observation and the experience of training social service professionals.
SOURCED FROM THE GPG WEBSITE.
