SOCIAL WORKER REMINISCES ABOUT FUNDING THAT CHANGED HER LIFE

Gauteng Department of Social Development Social Worker Simangele Ntshangase sharing her testimony during the Social Work Day Celebration at Mary Moodley CYCC in Benoni

By Phetoho Maja 

• Simangele Ntshangase, a social worker at the Gauteng Department of Social Development’s Nigel Office, expressed gratitude for the department’s life-changing opportunity to study social work, starting as a Child and Youth Care Worker in 2006 after completing her National Diploma in Child and Youth Development at Durban University of Technology (DUT).
• Awarded a bursary in 2015 to pursue further studies in social work at the University of South Africa (UNISA), Ntshangase now boasts over 17 years of experience working with families and children in need of care and protection, considering the Department her second home.
• Sharing her journey during the Ekurhuleni Regional Social Work Day celebration, Ntshangase recounted her impactful experiences, including her first child removal case and advocating confidently in the Children’s Court, highlighting the pride she feels when court matters conclude in the child’s best interests.

Simangele Ntshangase, a social worker under field and intake at the Gauteng Department of Social Development’s Nigel Office, has praised the department for offering her a life-changing opportunity to study social work. 

Ntshangase joined the Department as a Child and Youth Care Worker in 2006 after graduating with a National Diploma in Child and Youth Development at Durban University of Technology (DUT). 

In 2015, she was awarded a bursary to further her studies in social work at the University of South Africa (UNISA). With over 17 years of experience working with families and children in need of care and protection, Ntshangase has referred to the Department as her second home.

Sharing her testimony during the Ekurhuleni Regional Social Work Day celebration at Mary Moodley CYCC in Benoni on Tuesday, Ntshangase said she remembered her first removal of a child after a crisis call from a local Afrikaans school. 

“I remember the child’s face filled with fear. In my field of work, I work a lot with the Children’s Court, and there is no prouder moment than walking in and addressing the Children’s Court with confidence and knowledge of the Children’s Act,” she said.

Ntshangase added that she feels more proud when court matters are finalised in the best interest of the child, and when the magistrate respects and takes her recommendations.

Picture By Phetoho Maja