​Keamogetswe Masemola (37) is a Social Worker employed by the Gauteng Department of Social Development, based at the Wembley Homeless Shelter in Johannesburg South.
Despite working with homeless men, Masemola says seeing a change in her clients is an achievement, and it always brings a smile to her face. She adds that she always goes the extra mile when assisting her clients because no one ever wants to see himself in a shelter. Masemola’s career as a Social Worker started at Ikusasalethu, a non-profit organization, until she got a permanent post at the Gauteng Department of Social Development.

“As a teenager, I wanted to be a financial manager, but due to a lack of funds, I then opted for social work through Unisa. When I joined the Wembley homeless shelter, I told myself that I was here to change people's lives regardless of gender,” says Masemola.

“Meeting a client for the first time without knowing his background is one of the biggest challenges, especially for male clients. Firstly, you must build trust with one another before going deep into serious issues,” she explains.

“As soon as you win his trust, that’s when you realize that they are not just homeless, but they also have a good background, and some of them are educated. I always assist with drafting their CVs, preparing them for job interviews, and making sure that they are ready”.

Masemola says what she loves most about her work is when she sees her clients sign out after getting the job. Another role for Masemola at the shelter is to reunite clients with their families, which is not an easy job to do because there are those who are rejected.

Her advice to new Social Workers is to put more effort into their work and put their feelings aside because they will be working with vulnerable people. “As Social Workers, we have the belief that a client should be respected regardless of their situation”.

Masemola says Social Work Month is a very special moment where they celebrate their profession and everything they have achieved.