There are different areas for the governance of the society like Government, NGOs, autonomous bodies, corporate bodies, public undertaken, religion etc. Among those agencies, Social workers are also contributing immense social beneficial works in the field of child care, cleanliness, taken care of sick persons, old age, handicapped persons, consultation, counseling, coordination and promoting of social net work, community development, social upliftment activities, religious concern, encouraging the traditions and cultures and many more.Social workers are giving counseling in problems like politics, economics, religion, family, and other social problems. We also have environment, climate, natural calamity, man made calamity, etc. Social workers deal in all such problems. One example: They go hand in hand with the medical Doctors where Doctors treats physical sickness and social workers treats mental sickness.
Government as well as NGOs are doing many things for the welfare of the people where Social workers can give a helping hands to the Govt. to achieve its goal.
Our present Central Government is emphasizing on cleanliness because uncleaniliness is a social menace. It is said that a person in India loses about Rs.6, 500/- per annum due to illness and poor health as he is unable to perform day to day duties. Look at one of our neighbour countries like China who is very much concerned about the cleanliness. That means too much concerned about the health because it is the cleanliness that avoid countless germs and diseases in our daily lives. It is that health is Wealth and it is a happy life. When you are happy, you can be happy both in physical and Spiritual life.
Social Workers can extend a helping hand in any organization including churches and Christian organizations and work along with the evangelist, missionaries and preachers for the service of the needy. Every body wants peace and solved the conflict in the society. Master of Social Work are well trained in social welfare services like in peace and conflict transformation, youth empowerment and community development. They are required in institutions/organizations. The most important in Govt. departments are:
Medical Department-Here they can work along with the doctors side by side. Doctors deasl physical sickness whereas social workers deals mental sickness through counseling, consultation, helping hand, etc. They can be called Medical social Workers or health workers.
Women Resource Department where Social Workers can be engaged for Welfare and upliftment programs through interactive activities by involving themselves among the women groups and in individuals. Sharing their various day today problems. They can work for the maintenance of women social status among the present social strata. They can be called Women Social Workers.
Rural/Urban Development Department can use Social Workers to help Self Help Groups formed under their department for coordination and proper implementation of the Govt. programs and for the sustenance of their economic development. Social
Workers are very much needed in Rural Sanitation programs as well as in Urban Sanitation programs under Urban Development Department.
Social Welfare Department-The name itself indicates that it works for the welfare of the society. Therefore, the department should encourage to use the services of the Social Workers particularly at Child development programs/projects as Angawadi
Workers and others. Any NGO without any hesitation can utilize the services of the Social Workers.
Education Department: Master of Social Work can be engaged in education department to look after the physically challenge persons whether in school or at home or at work places and also nursery classes. In fact, in all the departments in Nagaland as has being doing by all over the world. We are yet to discover the value of social workers.
Master of Social Work (MSW) are well trained in Psychology, Counseling, Sociology, Field works, Case study of any human problems, Person to Person contact, Real life experience, trained in human management.
Master of Social Work is a social science. But till today MWS subject is yet to be included as one of the optional subjects in NPSC syllabus. There are already a good number of Nagas who have studied MSW in their colleges and Universities and
many more are studying. Knowing the importance of MWS, several colleges are coming up in Nagaland these days.
I, therefore, made an appeal to the Nagaland State Government to consider these few points mentioned above and use the services of MSW for the betterment of Nagas in general and Social Workers in particular.
( P.H. SEMY)
Sepfüzou Colony, Kohima
