The Refugee Community Support Workers Course has been carefully designed to equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to support refugees and migrants in meaningful, ethical, and empowering ways, grounded in the local context. The inaugural cohort is made up of eight trusted focal persons within their communities—individuals who have consistently demonstrated deep care, commitment, and, at times, personal sacrifice in service to others. As beneficiaries of ElShaddai’s education or social work programmes, these participants are now prepared to take on greater responsibility as reliable bridges between individuals, families, communities, and essential services.
This is a ten-month course delivered in partnership with eGraduate College UK. The programme consists of seven months of foundational learning followed by three months of supervised field placements. The foundational component covers four core units:
- Overview of Refugee Context and Social Work;
- Practical Field Skills Preparation;
- Preventive and Remedial Community Support Work; and
- Community Engagement and Capacity Building.The fifth unit comprises the Field Placement, where participants apply their learning in real-world community settings.
The course is delivered by a diverse team of experienced trainers, including a seasoned international lawyer, leaders from non-governmental organisations, and professional social workers. We extend our sincere appreciation to these facilitators, who recognise the importance of developing community support workers from within the community itself, and who are committed to strengthening grassroots capacity for sustainable and compassionate support.
