uMthunywa
NguTadiwa Nyatanga-Pfupa
UMKHANKASO wakhathesi weWorld Aids ohamba ngendikimba ethi: Yazi Isimo Sakho usuhanjiswe kumajele akuleli lapho izibotshwa eziphiwa khona ulwazi ngezocansi kanye lezokuzala, iHIV le Aids, i-TB, imikhuhlane ethelelwana emacansini kanye lokunye okuhlobene lalokhu.
Inhlanganiso yeNational Aids Council (Nac) kanye lezinye esebenzelana lazo iqhuba uhlelo lokufundisa ontanga ukuze kulimukiswe kuphinde kusekelwe labo abafundisa ontanga (peer educators).
Lokhu kuzakwenza babelakho ukwabelana ulwazi lezinye izibotshwa njalo ulwazi lolu lungasetshenziswa besavalelwe phakathi lanxa sebekhululiwe. Ulwazi ngokuthatha izidakamizwa kanye lotshwala lwandise ukuphiwa izibotshwa ezisakhulayo ngaphansi kwaloluhlelo. Izibotshwa zibalakho njalo ukuhlolwa iHIV leTB kanye lokucetshiswa.
Ukufundisana kwabontanga kungokunye kokuqakatheke kakhulu kunhlelo zeHIV leAids.
IWhawha Medium Prison ngenye yamajele asethole ukufinyelelwa luhlelo lolu. Ijele leli lilezibotshwa ezingu-1 500 ezilamaqembu ehlukeneyo obudala kukanti labo abasesebatsha bangu-300 njalo abanengi babo bangaphansi kweminyaka engu-24. Labo abafisa ukuba ngabafundisa abanye babo phakathi ejele bayazikhethela ukuba bafuna ukukwenza lokhu.
Baphathisa kakhulu kuhlelo lolu ngokunanzelela izibotshwa ezikhanya ziphathekile emzimbeni besebebakhuthaza ukuthi bavakatshele abezempilakahle kumbe abacebisi. Baphathisa njalo ngokuthi babone ukuthi labo abanatha amaphilisi kabeqisi ukuwanatha. Abafundisa ontanga laba babika ukuthi sokube lokukhuphuka kwezibotshwa ezihlolwa iHIV kusukela uhlelo lolu lwasungulwa njalo lezo ezatholakala zilomkhuhlane lo sezaqala ukwelatshwa.
Ekhuluma ngohlelo lolu uSukoluhle Sibanda ongu-District Aids Co-ordinator esigabeni seVungu , kunhlanganiso yeNac uthe uhlelo lolu lwamukelwe ngesihle yizibotshwa kanye lezisebenzi zejele.
“Silequla labafundisa abanye babo abazimiseleyo. Ngemva kokubanikeza izifundo siyabanika umhloliso njalo bandise ukwenza kuhle okutshengisela ukuthi bayabe befundile okuzwayo,” utsho njalo.
UDavid Bhusvumani ongomunye wezibotshwa esezifundisa ezinye eWhawha uthe izibotshwa ezinengi eziphila legcikwane leHIV zandise ukwekela ukunatha amaphilisi kusukela mhla zibotshwa kusiyafika usuku lapha ezigwetshwa khona.
“Omunye angabotshwa engelawo amaphilisi akhe. Kunzima ukutshela amapholisa ukuthi kumele ngiyethatha amaphilisi ami kuqala lingakangibophi. Kungakho-ke bandise ukuthola amaphilisi nxa sebephakathi ejele, nxa benelise ukukhululeka ngokukhuluma ngalokhu,” utsho njalo.
USimbarashe Dube ongesinye isibotshwa uthe yiloba nje uhlelo lolu luncomeka, izibotshwa zidinga ukucetshiswa ngabemuli. Uthe nxa umuntu engena ejele okwakuqala, uyabe edanile kakhulu okokuthi uyabe ecabanga ukuthi impilo yakhe isisemaphethelweni kungakho-ke kavezi isimo sakhe kumbe kwezinye izikhathi uthola amaphilisi akhe kodwa angawanathi.
“Njengama-peer educators siyabacebisa sibatshela ukuthi kulabomdeni okumele sibuyele kibo nxa singaqeda ukupika, lokhu kuyasebenza,” kutsho uDube.
Ugatsha lwezempilakahle eWhawha solucele amankampani ukuthi asize izibotshwa ngempahla efana lengubo nanko phela labo abaphila legcikwane leHIV bandise ukuhlala besizwa umqando. Bacele njalo imithi yokusiza izibotshwa nxa zithe zagula.
U-ZPCS Chief Correctional Officer, uClifford Mafuta uncome iNac ngohlelo lolu.
“Singabe sizama ukufinyelela izibotshwa kodwa kulezinye izikhathi lapho okuyabe sokudinga ontanga babo ukuthi bakhulume bezwisisana.
Uhlelo lolu selwenze imisebenzi yethu yeHIV le Aids yabalula kakhulu,” utsho njalo. UMnumzana Shumba Mambewu ongu-Provincial Manager esigabeni seMidlands kunhlanganiso yeNac, uthe iNac ayitshiyi muntu phandle kumsebenzi wokulwisana leHIV. Silezibotshwa ezithe xaxa eziphila legcikwane leli okumele zifakwe kuhlelo lweART. Silabanye abangaziyo isimo sabo. Kumele bakhuthazwe ukuthi bahlolwe bazi isimo sabo ukuze labo okumele bangene kuhlelo lweART bahle bangeniswe.”
UMnu Mambewu wengezelele wathi izibotshwa lazo ziyahlolwa umkhuhlane weTB njalo konke lokhu kwenziwa ukuze kwehliswe inani lezibotshwa ezifayo kubangelwa yiHIV leTB. Ukuze umuntu abe yi-peer educator akudingakali ukuthi abe ngophila leHIV.
