Social Policy Students Deliver at Cape Town SHAWCO Placement

Students from the University of Strathclyde gained valuable international experience through a placement programme delivered in partnership with SHAWCO, the Students' Health and Welfare Centres Organisation.

SHAWCO is a leading student-run non-profit community development organisation based at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Three students from the Department of Social Work and Social Policy visited Cape Town in April 2026 and contributed to a three-week programme of observation and research, enabling participants to engage directly with community-led initiatives in areas including health, education and legal support. The outputs from this research are actively used in SHAWCO practices, giving students the valuable opportunity to contribute to real-world change and shaping organisational processes. The initiative is led by Strathclyde's Dr Emma Hill, Programme Leader for the MSc Health and Social Policy and Dr Jackie Stewart. Jackie is a former Executive Director of SHAWCO.

three students smiling in SHAWCO tshirts

Pictured left to right: Eilidh Murphy, Noor Ul Ain, Grace Josiah.

Eilidh Murphy, MSc Health & Social Policy student shared her experience of the SHAWCO placement:

My time with SHAWCO not only deepened my understanding of community-based healthcare but also shaped how I think about my own role within it.

I left with a deep sense of gratitude for the opportunity to learn, to engage, and to be welcomed into these communities, and with a commitment to carry those lessons into my academic, professional, and personal life. 

 

About the placement

The SHAWCO placement is one of the options available to students on the MSc Health & Social Policy who opt in to the Placement Dissertation module and those in related PHD programmes.

Working alongside SHAWCO staff and local partners, students contribute to ongoing projects while developing research that informs both their dissertation and SHAWCO’s work. The placement is designed to strengthen understanding of global social policy challenges and provide practical insight into service delivery in diverse contexts.

The initiative builds on Strathclyde’s commitment to internationally focused teaching and collaborative partnerships. Developed through close links with SHAWCO and the University of Cape Town, the programme combines academic learning with meaningful community engagement.

During the placement, students take part in a structured programme of lectures, volunteering and field-based activities. These include supporting schools, engaging in health promotion work and attending sessions on topics such as health systems, human rights and environmental health.

Students feedback that the experience is both academically and personally rewarding, offering new perspectives on inequality, community resilience and policy in practice. Looking ahead, the University aims to expand access to the programme and further strengthen its partnership with SHAWCO.

You can read more about SHAWCO on their website.

You can find out more about the MSc Health & Social Policy on our website.

"What I took away most from my time with SHAWCO was a different understanding of what meaningful engagement looks like. I arrived thinking about service and contribution, but I left recognising that SHAWCO's real strength lies in its long-term relationships with the communities it serves. It is a trusted, continuous presence rather than a temporary intervention.

One reflection that has stayed with me came from a community health worker who spoke about the importance of being “known” rather than simply “seen”. That challenged how I thought about participation, reminding me that meaningful engagement is built through trust, understanding, and consistency.

Two ideas have stayed with me following this experience: Sawubona, which translates to “I see you”, and SHAWCO's message to Leave to Serve. For me, this is what I have taken forward.

My time with SHAWCO not only deepened my understanding of community-based healthcare but also shaped how I think about my own role within it. I left with a deep sense of gratitude for the opportunity to learn, to engage, and to be welcomed into these communities, and with a commitment to carry those lessons into my academic, professional, and personal life.

If Sawubona asks that we truly see one another, then Leave to Serve asks what we do with that understanding. In the space between recognition and action, I have found values and principles that I hope will continue to guide me even long after the placement has ended."