It was in August 2018 when Sylnita Swartz-Filies and her husband Gérard Filies - known as the PhD-couple - made history at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) when they became the first married couple to receive their PhD degrees together. Both are occupational therapists and they were also the very first married couple in South Africa to achieve their doctorates in this field.

Five years later, their son Arian Filies graduated today after completing a Social Work degree at this year’s Summer Graduation ceremony in the Jakes Gerwel Hall on Thursday, 14 December. His father had the honour of investing Arian at the graduation ceremony.

The Fielies Family consisting of Gerard, Sylnita and their son Arian Fielies

With this family, serving others runs in the blood. The 23-year-old Arian said, “It feels as if social work was a natural choice for me. As a child, I was all too familiar with my parents asking me and my younger sister, Gemma, to help out when they would consult young children. That was at a time when they were both still practicing as occupational therapists."

His mom Sylnita said it was very helpful to have them settle children the couple were treating.The couple’s influence undoubtedly paved the way for Arian to graduate with a degree in Social Work and inspired him to do his clinical practice training at Badisa in Kuils River as part of his course.

While at Badisa, he managed to formalise his project, A-maize-ing Meals (KRAM), that he and Gemma started during the COVID-19 pandemic in response to the need they saw in the community.

“It was just a matter of sourcing the food, mainly from family and friends, to provide maize meal and sugar monthly to creches in the indigent Kalkfontein community and dropping it at the gates at Badisa,” said Arian.

“After COVID, things started opening up again and social work students had the opportunity to do face-to-face practicals where we could engage with the community again. I also had the opportunity to gain a formal placement where I could do my practicals at the very same Badisa office where we would drop donations.” 

Arian said the time spent at Badisa was an eye-opener as he saw the struggle and lack of resources first-hand and “it was good to see how the little I felt I was doing, was making a significant impact. I appreciated the opportunity to engage with the community and see dire situations somehow alleviated based on their joint efforts”.

“There were times when our household was a madhouse with everyone involved, splitting up 30kg bags of maize into smaller portions. Then it would be a conveyor-belt situation of one preparing the jars, the other filling them and passing them on to be boxed before they get taken away for delivery,” said Arian, giggling as he reminisced about the chaotic situations that could’ve easily gone south had it not been for his dad Gérard’s calming guidance and advice.

His vision is to see his project grow without needing much of his father’s input, and that everything will flow with regular donors contributing to the project. “I want to encourage the community to get involved; even if they feel their contribution would be too small to make a difference. It always does,” said Arian.

Arian has completed his internship with Badisa, and even after his placement, the project is continuing and has become sustainable. He remains involved as a volunteer.

Hear what Arian Fielies has to say about social work