Only 8 social workers for vulnerable children in Zambezi

Zambezi region has just eight child welfare social workers to serve its entire population, putting vulnerable children at risk and overwhelming an already strained welfare system.

A parliamentary committee sounded the alarm over the critical shortage during an oversight visit to the region last week.

The standing committee on gender equality, health and social welfare inspected child welfare facilities and spoke with shelter operators and children in Zambezi and Kavango East regions to assess whether legislation and government programmes are effectively safeguarding vulnerable youth.

Committee chairperson Christine Haindaka said the shortage of social workers from the ministry of gender tasked with handling cases involving abused, traumatised, orphaned and vulnerable children is deeply troubling.

"This is very concerning, with some constituencies having only one social worker, placing serious pressure and strain on personnel,” Haindaka said.

"How can eight social workers manage these cases in a region such as Zambezi?” she asked.

“These children need support on multiple levels. Some have lost parents, suffered abuse or neglect, or found themselves without adequate family care,” she stressed.

While commending community organisations and shelter operators for their efforts, Haindaka said their inspection exposed major shortcomings in government welfare support.

She said many facilities operate without dedicated professionals and rely heavily on assistance from the gender ministry.

Haindaka said the critical shortage undermines the ability of social workers to provide timely support, process grants, assist with documentation and intervene in urgent child protection matters.

The committee also spoke with children at several facilities to better understand their experiences and living conditions.

Major welfare obstacle

Haindaka said these interactions reinforced the urgent need to strengthen frontline social welfare services and improve coordination between government and community stakeholders.

She proposed the deployment of constituency-based social workers to improve support services.

While acknowledging government subsidies and community-led initiatives supporting vulnerable children, Haindaka cautioned that charitable efforts should complement, not substitute, adequately resourced state welfare systems.

The shortage of social workers extends beyond Zambezi. Earlier this year, Namibian Sun reported that Namibia’s Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6) identified the lack of social workers as a major obstacle to protecting children and responding effectively to abuse and neglect.

According to the report, Namibia has only one social worker for every 17 923 children.