The Faculty of Community and Health Sciences (CHS) continues to commit to its mission within a social justice paradigm as an engaged institution and connected research and learning environment to transform and sustain the health and well-being of communities.

This commitment was demonstrated when its Bachelor of Community Development (BCD) 2nd-year students signed their oath statements on Wednesday, 31 August 2022, at the CHS Bellville campus. 

This student cohort is a special group because they are the first students who started this new 4-year professional programme in Community Development two years ago. It was launched amid heavy lockdown and a widespread COVID-19 pandemic in the province and country.

The BCD programme is coordinated by Dr Cornel Hart from the Department of Social Work, a community development academic and stalwart of community development practice and engagement. For some students, it was their first in-person meeting with all the academics and administration they got acquainted with during the past two years. Their classes have been online and are slowly moving into hybrid mode since July. A virtual Oath Taking Ceremony preceded this event on 12 August 2022, when the students took an official oath to their profession and their commitment to serve their communities. 

Prof Marichen van der Westhuizen, Department of Social Work Head, expressed her gratitude and congratulated the students on this milestone in their professional programme.

“This oath symbolises your first step towards your careers as Community Development Practitioners. In other words, you are making footprints where there are now footprints for others to follow,” said Prof Van Der Westhuizen.

READ MORE ABOUT STUDYING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AT UWC

Prof Firdouza Waggie, Deputy Dean for Clinical and Community Engagement, was in attendance. She expressed her sincere pride and overall intentions of integrating the BCD students as part of the Clinical and Community Engagement programme of the faculty at the clinical sites and community outreaches.

In concluding the ceremony, BCD practicum coordinator, Ms Nomcebo Dlamini, expressed her sincere gratitude to the Deputy Dean, HOD, Dr Hart, and Ms Gracia Fisher, the BCD administrator, for their commitment and continuous support to the programme. Finally, she thanked the students for being exemplary and for their commitment to being leaders of tomorrow in the Community Development Practitioner (CDP) fraternity.
 

For more images of the oath signing ceremony (all by Ruvan Boshoff/UWC Media), see the gallery below: