Social Work Students at UA Work to Fight Poverty

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Through a thoughtful class assignment, social work students at The University of Alabama recently worked together to improve the quality of life for families in developing countries.

As part of a distance learning Social Work with Communities course, UA master of social work students were instructed to choose an international organization for a fund-raising and community education project.

The course was taught by Dr. Karen Canada, UA assistant professor of social work, along with co-instructor Kim Womack, LCSW, Social Work instructor at Jacksonville State University. The distance education class was held on Saturdays in Tuscaloosa and at the UA campus in Gadsden.

Students in one group raised $1,848 for Heifer International, an organization that purchases livestock for needy families. The money will help buy three cows and other animals for less-fortunate families in developing countries.

The families who receive the livestock become self-sufficient by selling the products produced by the animals. Parents are able to provide food, clothing and shelter for their children, as well as send them to school.

Students in another group also hoped to give something that would improve the quality of life for others. After collecting $1,000, the students chose to purchase mosquito nets through CARE USA for families living in Mozambique.

The mosquito nets help prevent the spread of malaria, a preventable disease that kills thousands of people each year. The money raised will help purchase more than 200 nets.

Advocacy Field Coordinator for CARE USA, Derreck Kayongo personally thanked the students for their contribution. He spoke to the students about his childhood in war-ravaged Africa and inspired them to learn more about poverty in other countries and continue educating others.

For more information about the agencies go to http://www.heifer.org/ or www.care.org.