Project with South Africa and Zimbabwe Comes to an End—Insights and Network Remain

“In December 2024, I attended the ‘Social Work and Social Development Symposium’ in Zimbabwe. As a doctoral candidate in the Faculty of Applied Social Studies at Fachhochschule Dortmund, this trip was a great opportunity for me to discuss the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in an international, academic context and to network with other doctoral candidates and professors.

Last but not least, I had the opportunity to present my dissertation topic—which focuses on gender equality within our own profession of social work at the management levels—in a presentation at the symposium and to broaden my perspectives through exchanges with international researchers.

I found the presentations on the topic “Decolonization of social work and social development through African indigenous knowledge systems” particularly interesting. They made me realize how important the decolonization of social work and social development is for overcoming colonial power structures and Eurocentric perspectives.

I learned that indigenous knowledge systems offer alternative approaches based on local knowledge, cultural practices, and community-oriented solutions. They promote sustainable and context-sensitive strategies that are better tailored to the needs of the respective communities and target groups. By incorporating this knowledge, voices and perspectives that have long been marginalized are recognized. My understanding of social work has been greatly enriched by this global perspective and the exchange with local people.”

“My DAAD journey began in a rather informal and unexpected way—in the parking lot at the University of Johannesburg in 2023. I saw Professor Tanusha Raniga and, as I sometimes jokingly describe it, ‘approached’ her to ask if she would be willing to supervise my PhD.

Fortunately for me, she agreed. Professor Tanusha said to me, ‘You’ve been part of the Community of Practice project led by Professor Leila Patel for four years. Now you can do your own work. You can do this.” Her confidence in me was deeply affirming. It helped me realize that the experience I had gained through the Community of Practice project had prepared me to develop and lead my own doctoral research.

That conversation opened the door to my PhD and to three transformative years in the DAAD program. I could not have imagined that the journey would take me from Johannesburg and Durban to Germany and Zimbabwe; from participant to program coordinator; and from developing a proposal to conducting research with migrant single mothers in Yeoville.

The 2023 Johannesburg program focused on human rights, the Sustainable Development Goals, and social work in Germany and Africa. We examined poverty, inequality, globalization, food insecurity, gender, and intersectionality. Academic discussions combined with community visits reinforced my belief that social work education must remain connected to people’s lived realities.

The UKZN exchange in 2024 expanded on this learning. Visits to social development organizations exposed us to initiatives addressing child and family welfare, health, disability, skills development, and community practice. We also facilitated a workshop for master’s students, reminding us of the importance of peer support during graduate studies. It was also during this month that I was able to take a break from work and family responsibilities and begin writing my proposal.

In 2025, my role changed when I coordinated the Johannesburg component at UJ. We hosted PhD students from Zimbabwe, Malawi, Lesotho, and South Africa, as well as two master’s students from Germany. Being on the other side of the program challenged me to see my own city, Jozi, through new eyes. I reconsidered its social development challenges, but also recognized its diversity, resilience, and strengths.

It also changed how I understood visits to the Apartheid Museum and Constitution Hill. These are not neutral tourist sites; they remain imbued with historical pain and trauma. I became aware of how difficult it could be for Black African students to confront these histories. Program coordinators must therefore allow time for reflection and emotional processing rather than treating such visits as ordinary itinerary items.

Our engagement in Germany exposed me to different academic traditions and social work contexts. It made me question whose knowledge is valued and how international partnerships can avoid reproducing unequal relationships between the Global North and South.

The Zimbabwe program in April 2026 was particularly significant for my PhD research on the livelihood strategies of migrant single mothers in Yeoville. Lectures at Midlands State University and visits to communities, informal trading spaces, and a lithium-mining area connected migration, livelihoods, inequality, and environmental degradation in tangible ways.

Seeing Zimbabwean women working in flea markets helped me understand the Zimbabwean women in my research. Migration is not simply an individual choice; it is shaped by unemployment, dollarization, weak public services, limited social protection, and women’s responsibility for supporting their families. The visit to the mining site also deepened my understanding of extraction, displacement, and neocolonialism.

The Hurukuru method introduced in Zimbabwe strengthened my commitment to culturally responsive research conducted with communities rather than on them, and to recognizing community members as holders of knowledge.

The relationships within our interdisciplinary cohort were another blessing. My colleagues introduced me to research on disaster management, housing, and urban development, reminding me that complex social problems cannot be addressed by a single profession or country alone.

Balancing work, family responsibilities, travel, and a PhD was sometimes exhausting. Nevertheless, the program transformed me academically, professionally, and personally. It strengthened my confidence as a researcher and taught me to view not only other countries differently, but also my own city and society.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my mentor and PhD advisor, Professor Tanusha Raniga, as well as Professor Michael Boecker, Dorothee, Dr. Maud, Dr. Noel, and Dr. Mushunje, for making this three-year program possible. Your personal commitment to your students, international collaboration, and the social work profession were the driving forces behind this program and made it the success it has been. You did not simply organize an exchange. You created opportunities for us to learn, question our assumptions, build relationships, and grow. I hope other PhD and master’s students will experience the same generosity, exposure, and sense of academic community.

Although the formal program is coming to an end, the knowledge, relationships, and critical questions it fostered will continue to shape my PhD, my social work practice, and my future academic contributions.

Thank you.”