SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Comments by NWT Senator Nick Sibbeston arguing for the need to cut funding to social programs hit hard at students of Aurora College's social work program, prompting some of them to speak out on the importance of social work and the reasons they chose it as a career.

At an NWT Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Nov. 13, the senator advocated moving money out of social programs and into businesses because social workers "don't produce."

Here are some of the responses Sibbeston's comments drew from the students.

Concilia Kahonde had worked with autistic children in England before moving to the North, and is now in her second year of Aurora College's social work program.

"It's something I've always wanted to do and looked forward to doing – helping people," said Kahonde.

Kahonde said she still hears from the families she worked with in England, and thinks that her work has positively influenced their lives.

"I'm still in touch with those people, and I get feedback from them on the positive changes I made in peoples lives," said Kahonde.

Kahonde said she disagreed with Sibbeston when he said "people in (the social work) profession don't produce a great deal."

"In some professions you cannot measure what they do, but if you make a difference in one person's life, I think it's just great. It's a great feeling," said Kahonde.

"It's always rewarding when you hear of positive changes and people having success in life."

Savanna Mckay-Larocque is in her first year of Aurora College's social work program.

"It's something I've always wanted to do," said Mckay-Larocque.

She said that she chose the program in Yellowknife because of the aboriginal aspect to it. She was working at mining camp jobs before that.

"I felt like I wasn't being fulfilled at my job at the mine and I felt like I wanted a change, and I wanted a job where I could do something for somebody else," said Mckay-Larocque.

"I want a job that's going to challenge me, something where I can make a difference."

Loreen Beaverho is in her second year of Aurora College's social work program, and was dismayed at Sibbeston's suggestions that money be taken out of social programming.

She said growing up in a small Northern community, and seeing social problems run rampant is what showed her the need for the profession and made her choose it as a career.

"Social work was a career I chose when I was in Grade 10. I'm 21 now and it's still with me, and I'm graduating in a couple months," said Beaverho.

"I come from an isolated community where there's an enormous amount of crime, domestic violence, early pregnancies, drop-outs from high school. There's many diverse problems.

"I wanted to be somebody who could make a change and then come back and be a role model."