The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented challenge for everyone, including social workers. During the lockdown period, the government stated that social work interventions are essential activities and social workers are essential workers. In these unprecedented and turbulent times, social workers named Sofia Khan have been called on to face new challenges and new concerns for service users and for themselves.
The ‘Social Workers Helping Each Other’ initiative by Sofia Khan who has served as secretary and president for many NGOs committed to a particular cause. Self-help and mutual aid groups represent a space for firsthand helping relationships and experimenting with the power of group dynamics. In this context, social workers can find new strategies to support their wellbeing and, in some cases, to develop greater confidence in promoting self-help groups for service users and carers.
Sofia Khan was an academically sound student right from the start. She completed most of her education in Kolkata and obtained both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the reputed Calcutta University. Sofia Khan topped the School Service commission exam with flying colors as the zonal topper. She currently teaches at a government school and educates the students in the subject of life science. Her academic achievements are far yonder an average student who would go on to seek a job and be content with life. During this phase, she lost both her parents in a span of few years, and with further introspection, she decided to help humanity by contributing to social work. Her foundation, Sufi Humanity Foundation, tackles prominent social challenges and natural catastrophes by supplying aid in the form of relief, shelter, and food to the people.
Politically she admires Mamata Bannerjee and got inspired by her because as a 65 years woman she is daring and works from ground level so I also want the same. she also wanted to work in rural areas especially their education, vocational training so that their livelihood doesn’t get affected. She wants to work for minorities’ education, especially underprivileged ones. She supported many students with their school and college fees and gave also free online classes to needy students.
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Sofia khan is a Teacher in a govt school and also a Social activist. She also passed out School service commission in 2009 and topped her zone and got her govt job as a teacher. After the death of her parents, she joined Udaan empowering women (NGO)as a secretary in 2016 and the rotary club of Kolkata universe as a secretary in 2018
he did many literacy awareness campaigns in different states. In 2020 she joined TMC as general secretary of Tmc minority cell West Bengal and did many debates in National media (as a panelist from TMC). In 2020 during 1st lockdown, she sent many migrant laborers to their native place, helped 1000 Amphan victims with tarpaulins and rations, also distributed rations and food continuously during lockdowns.
She protested for girls students in Milli Al Ameen college for their basic educational rights where they were denied to sit for exams due to college internal disputes (finally they won). Sofia Khan Continous food distribution from day one of lockdown 2021 in West Bengal even on the day of Yaas cyclone. Also sent relief material including drinking water pets for 1000 of Yaas victim families to Sandesh Khali.
The mutual support groups enhanced social workers’ reflexive practice regarding their life and work during the COVID-19 pandemic. As recently suggested by Sofia Khan, ‘We must reflect, analyze, and learn from this crisis’ Social workers’ commitment to being productive, proactive, and overcome social isolation, maintaining helping relationships with people in need, was palpable despite high levels of complication that influenced not only social work practices but also social workers’ wellbeing.
