By Ragan M. Conteh

The Member of Parliament from Kambia District who doubles as the Chief Whip of the opposition APC, Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara (AKK) has claimed that there are plenty homeless people sleeping on the streets especially in cities across the country.

He said a lot of people have left the provinces to come to cities doing nothing, little realizing they have the responsibility to contribute to their own development and the nation in general whilst staying in their respective localities.

Hon AKK made the submissions yesterday while contributing to the debate on the bill entitled Professional Social Workers Regulation Council bill 2025.

Hon. MP insisted that the importance of the bill cannot be overemphasized, given that it addresses most challenges faced in communities across Sierra Leone.

He said the situation of vulnerable is alarming and needed social workers to talk to those categories of people in the society.

The legislator spoke lengthy on how Kush drug has continued to ravage particularly young people and that they need support to remove them from the dangerous trade or its consumptions and that requires the service of social workers.

The Parliamentarian stressed that the bill also aims at ensuring that the level of Kush intake is reduced or eradicated and for victims to realize their potentials by engaging in meaningful activities that earn them their living.

He also spoke about the sufferings communities especially in mining areas are going through, citing terrible road conditions as an instance even though he said these communities are producing valuable minerals.

He stated that the primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and to meet basic as well as complex needs of all people.

The lawmaker stressed on the importance of social services which he said cannot be underestimated, given that it helps people to cope with child abuse, mental health issues to chronic illness and poor health.

Hon AKK also highlighted the importance of social work including learning how to make positive impact, stating that social service is all about understanding and striving to improve the lives of people in society.

He reiterated that there will always be people in need, so there will be a demand for those who are educated in the subject area, meaning jobs shouldn’t be too difficult to find and one will always be able to make a positive impact.

“You may learn that you are an expert in dealing with aggressive behaviour or you might learn how to cope with your own emotions at the end of a difficult day. You will learn your different strengths and weaknesses and find that this course teaches you things about yourself that you didn’t know before,” he admonished.

He told those social workers that the course has allowed them to meet people who want to make a difference and stand up for other people’s rights.

Hon. Kamara added that service providers are found in every facet of community life, including schools, hospitals, mental health clinics, senior centers, elected offices, private practices, prisons, military and corporations.

He said some social workers help clients who face disability or life-threatening diseases or social problems such as inadequate housing, unemployment and substance abuse.

Above all, he said social workers also assist families that have serious domestic conflicts, sometimes involving child or spousal abuse.

He urged for professional conduct and specializes in serving a particular population or working in specific settings.