Refiloe Legodi, a lecturer in the subject group Social Work at the North-West University (NWU), presented her research at the Ubuntu Nursing Colloquium that took place in August at the Groenkloof Campus of the University of Pretoria.
Her presentation, titled “Ubuntu in action: Strengthening learner mental health through interprofessional collaboration among nurses, medical social workers, schools, families and communities”, explored how ubuntu can provide an African, community-centred framework for improving learner mental health and psychosocial support.
Refiloe, who is also a member of the Lifestyle Diseases research entity, said that supporting learners’ mental health requires more than the work of teachers, social workers or healthcare professionals. It needs families, schools and communities to work together and take shared responsibility for the well-being of young people.
At the heart of her argument is the ubuntu principle, “I am because we are”. Refiloe said this principle should move beyond philosophy and become part of everyday support for learners.
“Ubuntu can be translated into practice by fostering collective responsibility, mutual support and meaningful collaboration among schools, families and communities,” she said.
Schools, for example, can establish multidisciplinary support teams and peer-support programmes. They can also strengthen systems to identify learners who need help and refer them to suitable services.
Refiloe said teachers are often among the first people to notice changes in a learner’s behaviour, academic performance or interaction with others.
Clear referral systems could allow teachers to raise concerns and connect learners with nurses, social workers or psychologists.
“Families should also be part of this process because they know the learner outside the school environment and can provide valuable information about changes or challenges at home,” she said.
However, several barriers can weaken such partnerships. These include staff shortages, limited resources, poor communication and weak referral systems. Stigma around mental health can also discourage young people from seeking help.
Refiloe believes mental health awareness should therefore become part of everyday school and community life.
“We need to address stigma because sometimes learners do not ask for help because they fear being judged or labelled,” she said.
She called for a shift from responding only when problems become serious, to preventing them where possible. Early identification and intervention could help learners receive support before challenges escalate.
For Refiloe, the key question should always be: What does this learner need and who is best placed to provide that support?
She said professionals should combine their expertise rather than operate in isolation. Families and communities should also form part of the support network.
“No learner should have to face mental health challenges alone,” Refiloe said. “Ubuntu reminds us that we all have a responsibility to create communities where every child feels supported, valued and able to thrive.”
Such an approach, she said, could turn Ubuntu from an ideal into a lived experience and create a stronger whole-child and whole-community system of care.
Refiloe Legodi believes Ubuntu can help build stronger support systems for learners facing mental health challenges.
