For social work students at North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus ubuntu is no longer a concept only discussed in lectures. It is becoming a structured community programme with students preparing to lead projects that strengthen support networks in local neighbourhoods through a growing framework known as ubudlelane.
The university’s subject group Social Work is rolling out the initiative as part of its community engagement programme, positioning ubudlelane – a term based on African philosophies of shared humanity – as a practical tool for collective care, generosity and social cohesion. The concept centres on ukwabelana (Nguni) and kgaogana (Setswana), referring to the act of sharing and “breaking bread” as a foundation for human connection.
Student teams, guided by academic staff, will implement projects across Mahikeng, focusing on everyday acts of support that can restore community bonds and respond to social pressures faced by households.
For example, through community development modules, students will implement programmes aligned with the principles of ubudlelane, such as the provision of sanitary support for young girls and other creative, diverse acts of sharing, with guidance and support from academics in the subject group Social Work.
“Ubudlelane is about putting the spirit of ubuntu into action,” says Dr Mzukisi Xweso, a senior lecturer in social work. “It reminds us that communities do not thrive because of policy alone, but because of people who choose to share, to show compassion and to step in when others are struggling.”
Spanning the three levels of community life
The subject group aims to strengthen intervention and support across three levels of community life.
At the micro level students will model values of selflessness and care through their personal engagements. They will facilitate connections between families, groups and community networks at the mezzo level such as facilitating ubudlelane-informed groups.
When it comes to the macro level, the projects will promote broader collaborations with already established links to key stakeholders, the department is well positioned to influence and drive meaningful change and encourage a shift in community systems where mutual support becomes part of the local culture.
Dr Xweso says the initiative is also meant to equip students with a practice-based understanding of social work suited to African realities and the concept of sharing.
“Sharing is often treated as something informal, but it is a powerful social mechanism,” he says. “When people share resources, time and emotional support, they reduce social isolation, strengthen resilience and rebuild trust.”
The subject group plans to officially launch the project once social work students and staff have engaged with the plan and collectively decided on the most appropriate initial approach for working within communities.
Short and longer-term goals
While ubudlelane is increasingly gaining attention within social work scholarship, academics within the subject group Social Work, in collaboration with colleagues from other universities such as Nelson Mandela University and WITS, are actively engaged in the comprehensive conceptualisation of this approach as a framework for practice and community development.
Scanning the broader African intellectual landscape, the subject group Social Work has drawn from African social work theory, including work published through Africa Social Work and Development Network, which frames ubudlelane as a philosophy for addressing poverty and social challenges through shared responsibility and human solidarity.
Dr Xweso says the long-term goal is to make the initiative sustainable beyond the academic calendar by strengthening community ownership.
“If we can normalise the spirit of ukwabelana in community life, we do more than support individuals – we build communities that can respond to hardship together.”
Dr Mzukisi Xweso
