Promotion of Professional Social Work towards Social Development and Poverty Reduction in East Africa | PROSOWO

Project Coordinator: FH Prof. Dr. Helmut SPITZER

Research Assistant: Mag.(FH) Sabrina RIEDL

Coordinating Institution: Carinthia University of Applied Sciences

Partner Institutions: Makerere University (Dr. Janestic Mwende TWIKIRIZE), University of Nairobi (Dr. Gidraph Gachunga WAIRIRE), Institute of Social Work, Tanzania (Dr. Zena Mnasi MABEYO), National University of Rwanda (Mr. Charles RUTIKANGA, MSW)

Partner Countries: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda

Project Duration: 1 March 2011 - 30 November 2014

Enumeration of results - final report

New Book Release: “PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL WORK IN EAST AFRICA”

The book "Professional Social Work in East Africa: Towards Social Development, Poverty Reduction and Gender Equality", edited by Helmut Spitzer, Janestic Twikirize and Gidraph Wairire, is now available. If you order the book, we kindly recommend that you do so via our international distributor "AFRICAN BOOKS COLLECTIVE". This company seeks to strengthen indigenous African publishing and to increase the visibility and accessibility of the wealth of African scholarship and culture.  It is worth to support such initiatives.

Abstract:

The PROSOWO-project is a joint initiative of 4 East African institutions of higher education and one Austrian partner, thus combining efforts towards international and regional networking. The overall objective of the partnership program is directed towards the promotion of professional social work education and practice. Social work should thus contribute more effectively to social development and poverty reduction in achieving the Millennium Development Goals in East Africa. The project combines empirical research with curriculum development activities and socio-political advocacy for the social work profession. PROSOWO has a strong component pertaining to the establishment of South-South partnerships, both in East Africa as well as across the continent by networking with the Association of Schools of Social Work in Africa (ASSWA).The interlinked activities of the project will build the capacity of the partner institutions, promote the social work profession, support gender equality, and significantly assist poverty reduction strategies through well-trained and qualified social work staff. The academic output will be seen in national and regional research reports, increased numbers of scientific articles and conference papers as well as in a fieldwork manual for social work students in the region. A major scientific outcome of the whole project will be a planned “Handbook on Social Work in East Africa”. This handbook will be presented at events both in the region as well as in Austria.