ANZASW celebrates Aotearoa New Zealand Social Workers' Day on Wednesday 17th September! To all of our social workers in Aotearoa New Zealand, thank you for all that you do, your mahi, your service, and your support. You plant seeds not just for today, but for tomorrow. 

Read the messages below from ANZASW Perehitana - Sharyn Roberts, our Chief Executive - Nathan Chong-Nee and Kaihautū - Lisa King.

---

Kia ora e te whānau
 
Last week I attended the wonderful Whakamanawa 2025 Conference in Rotorua, hosted by Te Pai Ora SSPA. It was a celebration of the incredible impact of social service providers across Aotearoa, and to be among so many passionate social workers was both humbling and inspiring, and it feels the perfect lead-in to Aotearoa Social Workers Day.
 
Aotearoa Social Workers Day is about you, our members, our heroes. Every one of you brings aroha, resilience, and commitment into spaces where they are needed most. You walk alongside tamariki, rangatahi, whānau, and hapori, holding hope, offering advocacy, and quietly transforming lives. Too often this mahi goes unseen, but it is never unseen here.
 
We see you. We value you. And we thank you deeply.
 
At this time, I want to take a moment to honour outgoing Board member, Sally Dalhousie for her extraordinary service to the ANZASW Board over the past nine years, and as a member, even longer. During her time on the Board, Sally has served in many capacities, as President, Vice President, and as a committed member of numerous working groups and committees. She has led with vision, wisdom, and deep commitment, always bringing integrity, purpose and great humour to our mahi. 
 
Sally’s contribution to supporting and upholding Pasifika practice and voice has been significant and enduring, ensuring that cultural integrity and equity remain central to our kaupapa. Sally’s legacy of leadership, aroha, dedicated service and generosity will continue to strengthen ANZASW and the profession of social work for many years to come. We also extend our sincere thanks to The Fono, who so generously released Sally to serve the Association during this time.
 
To all of you, our members, thank you for all that you do, your mahi, your service, and your support. You plant seeds not just for today, but for tomorrow.

 
Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi
With your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive.
 
Oku ‘ikai ke u tō e ngoue ‘ae ‘aho ni, kae tō e ngoue ‘ae kaha‘u
I do not plant for today, but for tomorrow - the work we do now builds a better future for generations to come.

Thank you from the heart for all that you do.
 
Ngā mihi maioha ki a koutou katoa
 
Sharyn 
ANZASW Perehitana 

---

View the video message for Social Work Day from ANZASW Chief  Executive Nathan Chong-Nee.

---

 

He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata'

 
Kia hari tō tātou rā o Te Kai-Tauwhiro, today on Aotearoa Social Workers Day we acknowledge our efforts to contribute to the oranga of those we have the privilege to serve, ahakoa ngā piki me ngā heke.  
 
Despite the ups and downs, we can reflect and take pride in our resilience and commitment to social justice, human rights and wellbeing. Te wiki o te reo Māori - Ake,ake ake! Te Reo Māori, a forever language, supportively challenges us to increase our understanding and use of te reo Māori, ia rā, ia rā! Te reo Māori cloaks our values as an association and alongside Te Tiriti o Waitangi, it provides impetus for the application of Māori worldview understandings in our practice, not its appropriation, but its appreciation and direction in our interactions with all others. 
 
Carrying forward from the World Social Work Day theme of strengthening intergenerational solidarity for enduring wellbeing, Toitū te Kōtahitanga, Toitū te Oranga' reminds us that 'when unity is sustained, wellbeing is sustained', ake, ake, ake! Together we can take pride in the good works we do  i a rā, i a rā, which contributes to the oranga of te katoa.

Kia pai to ra.

Ngā manaakitanga

Lisa King
ANZASW Kaihautū

---