To enhance that the Most Vulnerable Children are protected from

harm, and receive access to essential services.

To ensure effective welfare services to Most Vulnerable group of

people in the society.

To ensure the cleanness of the environment in order to protect

people from the eruption of diseases.
To deal with different economic activities which are carried out by
people within society.
To ensure regular supervision of care Institutions.
To popularize, monitor and evaluate the implementation of
community service programs
To make referral to different marital cases for further solution.

2.

1.3. The roles of the Organization.

The social welfare office at Chato District plays different roles which
include the following in collaboration with different organizations and
other development partners:
It solves different conflicts in family for instance husband and wife
had separated, the board makes effort to reunite them before they go
to court for legal action.
To provide customary advice to families members whose relations is
at risk of breaking up due mistrust between the couple or totally
lack communication on various issues among family members.
Works closely with children more especially those from unstable
families with a aim of providing social care, security from being
abused as well as ensuring understanding and well being of the
youngs, and youths families.
Collaborate with parents on matters pertaining to child adoption.
For that reason the organization is responsible for providing
adoptive families with information on the things and privileges each
side involved in adoption would have. Besides the organization
provides advice and adoption updates to adults of such interests.
Identifies the most vulnerable children and sponsors them to get
education at various levels. In addition, the organization supports
the poor families by involving them in initiating and running
economic activities such artificial fishing dams.

Encourage and educate people about environmental conservation

for example people around lake shores at Bwina village were helped
to construct and use good and sustainable toilets.

Work with villagers in protecting and combating elderly killings

which is due to lack of education, bad believes amongst the
villagers and the like. So the organization provides education to the
villagers on why the elders and albinos dignity must be respected
and they problems would be taken as a challenge.
.

Work with child care centers, first to register them, provide parental
and sociological advice to supervisors of homeless child centres and
sometimes coordinate donors aids and government support to the
orphanage centres and other centres which serve the homeless
people.
The agency provides HIV/AIDS education to the community
members and besides it conducts seminars across groups in regard
to gender, age and HIV status test. For the HIV victims, the
organization does provide them with nutritional food staffs,
counseling support and health services like provision of ARVs as
well. Also the agency supports the youths and women groups with
entrepreneurship skills before giving them loans to help them start
their economic projects for income generation.

Furthermore, the organization is responsible for providing social

and logistic support to the victims of natural catastrophes like floods

by giving them shelter, food, clothes and sometimes allocate new

places to the displaced people for constructing new homes.
4

Generally the agency in Chato district has been performing a number of

tasks including: guidance and counseling to special groups in need, like
family conflicts, to advise parents and guardians on good care for children
living in either conflicting or adoptive families, to coordinate and
supervise the services given to the orphans and other most vulnerable
children to mention but a few.

1.3.1. Services to the vulnerable groups around the district.

A: Widows. In the recent years the organization has helped widows to get
their right of inheritance and some of them have been helped to have legal
assistance on how the judicial system can help them achieve their rights.
B: Unable patients. The agency also has managed to link patients
suffering from chronic diseases with sponsors who help them get medical
treatment from specialists and other treatment expenses. Besides the
organization helps some patients to be referred special hospitals.
C: Elderly services and care. Chato district like any other governmental
organs has a program special for taking care of elders especially those
with disabilities or unable to serve themselves in their day to day life. So
the organization identifies such people and helps them get free treatment
in government hospitals, giving them entrepreneurship skills and helping
them to form groups for accessing loans hence establishing their own
projects to generate family income.

D: People with disabilities. Many people who are disabled in all wards of
Chato district are registered and some of them have been connected to

various aid donors as a result the cripples have gotten wheelchairs and
artificial legs.
5

CHAPTER TWO.

2.1. Assigned task.

During my field study at Chato District I attended various activities

which helped me to learn and share knowledge, skills and experience
from Chato residents. Among many tasks I were assigned include the
following:
Reading various books and articles about vulnerable
children, children rights, gender equity and elders care. At
the district headquarters I always used two or three hours
passing through books before attending any other issues. The
issues talked about in these books based on social, economic
and legal matters. Theoretically the materials do sound
however practically there are a lot of challenges ahead of
special groups like albinos, HIV victims, orphans, homeless
children and elders.

Attending clients with different family disputes and any

other related social problems. For about eight weeks of my
field study at Chato I used to meet with women and men
whereby, majorities were women. In many cases, attended
women complained about how they are abused and
humiliated by their husbands and some men complained
about women for deserting their families, thus leaving their

children under care of single parent as a result the remaining

parent find themselves having a big burden.
6

One of the cases I got to hear is that of Mrs. Bwire a 40 years old
woman came to accuse her husband for oppressing her and total
lack of affection from her husband including martial rights like
having sex with her husband. Thereafter the I wrote a letter
compelling the husband to come in our office for a talk. We ended
the matter by the husband apologizing, admitting and promising in
writings to rectify his behavior and become a responsible husband.

Attending seminars conducted by supervisors at different

villages in Chato district one of them is Bwanga village. The topic
was about the killing of aged men and women. The presenters from
the office I was working with, tried their best they could to know
the source about the killing of aged people. The villagers tried to
give some factors leading into such rude, brutal habits and bad
attitude towards aged people. They said among the causes could be
the involvement of youths and some men in total alcoholism and
superstitious beliefs. To wrap up, the presenters advised the country
men from involving themselves in such unacceptable scandals,
instead they should change their mind set and start indulging
themselves in production activities and take care of the elders and
like them as normal humans. Besides the discussion went over by
educating the villagers on human rights including the right to live
and that any attempt to threaten or kill somebody is a serious crime
and can lead into ones death penalty.

CHAPTER THREE
3.1. Problem encountered

The time I got to work with the staff of social welfares at Chato district
council is memorable as it made me get to learn many things from the well
trained and experienced staff in dealing issues based on sociological
perspective of a society. However I faced several challenges as described
hereunder:
1. Shortage of working tools. In the office for example, the files for
keeping various departmental information together with that
obtained from clients were not available thus I could not refer
anywhere when I needed to revise on a particular case brought by
my clients. Besides office facilities such as chairs, tables and
cupboards are not enough in regard to the user and uses of the
office.

2. Language was also a stumbling block between me and the clients.

Many of the clients I attended especially old people made me
realize that Kiswahili language was a problem as they could not
express their concerns well using Kiswahili so they had to mix
languages which caused me to apply other means to grasp what they
said because I could not understand the ethnic languages they were
eloquent of speaking.

12

3. Moreover the department had little financial support from the

government due to the fact that the government financial year was
closing so the new budget was underway and therefore no more
money was available for office uses. That means the office could
not manage to conduct activities that needed us to travel to the
interior villages where most of our clients are found. That being a
reason, I failed to visit many villages as it was planned prior. So the
scope of my information and data collection was narrowed.
4. Also during my field study at Chato district I was at times
challenged by knowledge know how because some of the clients
brought serious and complicated cases that needed more
understanding than I suppose I could do. Fortunately, I could not let
my clients regret but seek help from other departmental workers and
there I got to learn more skills in solving such kind of problems
which needed to attended by an experienced person with great
expertise in social welfares.
5. Lack of special room for conducting guidance and counseling is
another challenge facing the department and so affected my routine
of meeting with my clients as a profession compels the counselor to
have a special room where the clients can express their privacy and
confidentiality comfortably without any interruptions contrary the
social welfare department at Chato which is multifunctional.

13

6. Individual financial also restricted my study because sometimes I

had to make home visits for my clients. In some situations I had to
use the little pocket money I had constraints to pay the transport fee
for the client and me. In fact I suffered this problem because neither
the government nor organization sponsors my university studies but
my family.

14

2.3.Skills and competence acquired.

This part of my report encompasses issues concerning with the
knowledge, skills and abilities in attending and solving peoples
social and moral problems. Indeed while at Chato Social Welfare
department I got experience and practical skills from my
supervisors, fellow students from various colleges and universities,
team mates, the villagers to mention but a few. Among many skills
and competence acquired include the following:
Partaking in various social activities with other staff members and the
community members at large. This helped me to be equipped with
social works organization, the values, techniques and individual skills
needed when accomplishing certain tasks as a team. Working in a team
made me develop proper communication skills and establish
outstanding working relationship with team mates, clients as well. For
instance, when attending a client I used to avoid stereotyping language,
maintained privacy and tried my best I could to wear their shoes
regardless of their socio economic status.
Apply the theoretical knowledge obtained in class into practice
.During my field study I used some theories covered in class to attend
and solve peoples problems especially those pertaining to guidance
and counseling , and behaviorism as well. Generally it was a real time
to make a comparative analysis between the materials studied
theoretically and their implication in the field. I real got the experience
thus enriching my course mastery in sociology.
10

 Furthermore, I got to learn and acquire conversational skills more

interesting with clients who seemed to be at crisis, so I uncovered that
such people need flexibility, tolerance, redness, and great hospitality in
trying to calm down them and give them immediate help to their
problems. In addition, I realized that when dealing with clients facing
social problems one needs to use courteous language.
Accountability and responsibility is another thing I have learned
that is necessary to a student like me for building trust ship to the
staff I was working with and the clients I served. For example at
times I was required to perform tasks ordered by my supervisors,
and sometimes I could hear complaints about doing works with
negligence which showed lack of commitment and being an
irresponsible trainee which I didnt like to happen to me.

11

3.2.Conclusion and recommendation.

Recommendation
The department of social welfare in Chato districts in collaboration
with the central government, NGOs and other pro development
partners plays a vital role in serving the needy in terms of social,
economic and moral support .However, it is recommended by this
report for the agency of social welfare at Chato district on behalf of
its allies work up on the following if they intend to thoroughly
improve their services and help to the society they are dealing with.
First, the agency should advise the government to employ more
workers who are trained and specialized in psycho therapy, public
health and community development experts for effective eradication
of extreme alcoholism, mass poverty, drug addictions, gender
biasness e.t.c.

Secondly, the agency has to create other sources to generate more

funds rather than depending on the government sponsorship and
other Samaritans whose support does not suffice the demands of the
needy. For instance, the sometimes the department fails to sponsor
all identified orphans and vulnerable children to access education or
get better medication and so forth due limited budget for the agency
day to day functions.
Lastly, agency should closely work with other government organs
such as police, judiciary, ward chancellors and all leaders at village
level to help the observance of the law, thus ensuring that everyone
is responsible and accountable to his/her community development

15

and bringing peace and harmony more especially ensuring security

of life to the vulnerable groups like people with albinism, orphans
and widows.
Conclusion.
For the whole time I got to work with the social welfare staff at
Chato district has been spectacular moment. I widened my
understanding about social works via reading different books and
articles on vulnerable children, orphans and elders. Besides I visited
some villages and conversed with some people of various caliber
about the social problems they are passing through in their normal
life. I have experienced and learned lots of things potentially for my
career. The agency is sincerely struggling hard to meet its goals
while fulfilling its roles to the needy despite the technical, expertise
and financial challenges it is facing. Finally I argue the agency to
work collectively with the government and the community at large
in combating the social problems affecting the social well being of
Chato district.

16

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgement
..

CHAPTER ONE.

1.1.Mission of organization.....1
1.2. Objective of organization..2
1.3. Role of organization3.

CHAPTER TWO
2.1. Assigned task.4.
2.3. Case study..5
2.4. Skills and competences acquired.6

CHAPTER THREE.
3.1. Problems encountered.7.
3.2. Conclusion and recommendation.8

2.2. Case study.

One Friday morning I received guest in the office. He appeared shabby

though not real, his face looked flown and a bit frustrated. I offered him a
seat and greeted him as he seemed somewhat aged. The conversation
between us took about half an hour and it was as follows. The names that
appear in this dialogue are factious however those appearing in the clients
responses are real.
Sociologist:

My name is miss. Jackline Byarugaba. And you?

Client

I m Edwin Malwa from Musoma rural.

Sociologist: I m here to help you, what can I do for you?

Client
issue.

Sister! I have come for my wife and I have a serious family

Sociologist: What is it comrade?

Client : Well, madam! The matter is about who should take charge of
the children between me and my ex father in law.

Sociologist: Where are the children?

Client
father

: Now, they are living with their grandpa, I mean my ex wife

Sociologist: Excuse me, where is your wife?

Client

: Oh! My goodness! We separated some years ago.

Sociologist : What happened between you?

Client

: Well madam, its a long story but I think you know love is very delicate.
What happened is that I had left Chato for Musoma to try my fortune
For about 6 months and when I came back I found my wife had already
Left with my three children.

Sociologist : Did you work out why she left and where she took the
children?
Client : Yes, the children were under care of my father in law but my
wife had already gone to Muganza.
Sociologist: Then?
Client

: When I went to Muganza I found that she had already married another
man and she no longer likes me.

Sociologist:
Client

mmmmhh! So did you go back to her parents and explain the matter?

: Very scared because I realized they had a blessing on it! On contrary, I

found my children very wired and starving. I talked to my father in law if
I could leave with my children but he remained cynical. That is the reason
I m here to seek advice!

After the conversation, I wrote a letter to Mr.& Mrs. Bigambo, who are my client
parents in law to appear in our office for solving the problem. On 25/ 7/2013 both sides
showed up and after a long discussion the grandparents agreed to let the two children
go with their father and the two years boy had to remain in the hands of her mother .
9