Social Work will collaborate with the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW) at the University of Minnesota to implement a Joint Child Research Initiative and Training (CRIT)
UNAM will host four professors from the School of Social Work (SSW), University of Minnesota from 23 June to 5 July 2024. Led by Dr Traci LaLiberte of CASCW, Prof Joan Blakey the Director of the SSW, Dr Kristine Piescher of CASCW, and Dr Amy Hewitt of the Institute on Community Integration (ICI) will offer their expertise on pathways to establish CRIT by taking part in a Kick-Off Conference.
The Kick-Off conference will be held between 25 and 27 June 2024, at Avani Hotel and Casino in Windhoek.
About 50 stakeholders who are multi-system involved and working with children, will gather to shape the establishment of CRIT. They are from the children’s parliament, government, research agencies and universities, NGOs, community-based organisations, and multi/bilateral agencies.
This initiative is jointly conceptualised by the Psychology and Social Work Department led by Dr Johanna Ndilimeke Nashandi at UNAM; and the Child Care and Protection Directorate led by Ms Helena Andjamba at the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare (MGEPESW).
This Kick-off conference is co-funded by UNICEF in Namibia who will also present the Data Must Speak Project and the University of Minnesota representatives.
CRIT will benefit multidisciplinary masters and doctoral training. Academics from diverse faculties and students will participate in the analyses of routine administrative data, telling the stories behind the numbers, and translating research into products that can be evaluated for scale up, congruent with local realities.
The UNAM Technical team consists of Ms. Josephina Muntuumo of Computing, Prof. Cynthy Haihambo Ya-Otto of Applied Educational Sciences, Dr. Annalise Murangi of Psychology and Social Work, Dr. Ndumba Kamwanyah of Psychology and Social Work, Dr. Lovisa Nghipandulwa of Industry and Cooperative Education, and Prof. Lillian Pazvakawambwa of Computing, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences.
Kindly E-mail crit@unam.na to learn more about this exciting initiative.
