Masibambane

Working together - how the people of Adams Mission are responding to HIV/AIDS

As part of its Social Science Research Programme, HIVAN is funding a project entitled "Community Responses to HIV/AIDS in KwaZulu-Natal", focusing on the formal and informal initiatives being driven by and in which communities are participating, and the role of social capital in increasing their effectiveness. Research fieldworkers Sbongile Maimane and Zweni Sibiya were accompanied by Judith King from HIVAN's Media team on a visit to the project's first site, Adams Mission.

Masibambane - "working together" - is the name of the YMCA's KZN HIV/AIDS Outreach Progamme (KHAOP) for its project in Adams Mission, a small, resource-poor community near Amanzimtoti, just south of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal.

Co-ordinating the Project, which was launched in 2001, is Oziel Mdletshe, a dynamic young man with an inner strength that does not fail to impress. As we talked in the dim light of four tiny rooms that make up the Masimbambane Centre disclosing his own HIV status seemed to come naturally for him - despite his awareness of the stigma and denial that abounds in his community about HIV/AIDS, fuelling its spread and resulting in many lonely, painful deaths.

"I've been HIV-positive for six years," he said, "and I believe that the only hope for surviving this infection is to know one's status and to live openly, without the awful burden of hiding the truth, both from oneself and others." Oziel joined the YMCA organisation as a PWA, and has since seen it become one that does not differentiate between HIV-positive or HIV-negative employees. "There's no 'us and them'," he explained, "and no-one is relegated to solely HIV/AIDS portfolios simply because they are HIV-positive. We are doing further work on our Human Resources benefits and policies, so we can ensure that the YMCA is a fully inclusive, supportive organisation."

The only medication Oziel takes is an "over-the-counter" natural remedy consisting of plant sterols and sterolins, which he says helps to support his immune system. He also exercises regularly and eats well, but he feels that giving of himself to the Project, and the processes through which this work takes him, is his primary source of healing.

"Getting the Centre off the ground was difficult," Oziel recalled. "We began by researching the conditions underlying and surrounding the epidemic in the community, and soon found that the two main challenges were the stigma of the illness and lack of resources. Ailing residents would travel to Durban's McCord Hospital for help and would get some assistance from NAPWA, as the clinics in the area were not very youth-friendly. We tried to get some support groups for youth off the ground, but because of the fear of disclosure, these soon disintegrated. "

However, Oziel and his team persevered, and as their counselling and information campaigns became more accessible to the community, more users came forward, attending meetings, calling on the Centre, requesting home visits and following its peer education programme. "Through networking with the existing health structures and other NGOs,? said Oziel, ?we have been able to provide lifeskills training, advice on income generation, awareness of gender issues, pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, human rights and PMTCT. We now have four active support groups, focusing on youth and women, in the mainly 20 to 35-year age group."

Oziel?s team is very concerned about drawing more men into the project, and they plan to use focused events like Valentine's Day to target couples in HIV awareness. "We are also partnering with private sector initiatives, like that of the S A Sugar Association, which runs a series of workshops on Nutrition and HIV/AIDS."

Marcia Mazibuko is a Youth Worker with the project who fulfils a community-health work role in the area, doing home-based care and taking affected residents to hospital. "There's not much in the way of volunteer resources here," she explained quietly, "because there is still so much stigma and discrimination around HIV/AIDS." She has noticed that the orphan population in neighbouring Umbogintwini is growing rapidly. "We desperately need funds to provide adequate care for these children and to set up a hospice - there is so much more we could do if only we had the resources."

Marcia also recalled how hard it was during the early stages of the Centre's work. "At first, no-one came to the support group meetings. Then, the few who did would disappear, or make contact with the counsellor privately to voice their needs.? When describing the suffering she observes on a daily basis, Marcia said with a gentle smile: ?It is the support group members themselves, the very people who are afflicted, who give me their encouragement. When I become depressed or feel helpless, I call them and they keep my spirits up!"

After calling in at the Adams Resource Centre and greeting the Library staff, we visited the Dr Nembula High School, named after the first black medical doctor in South Africa. Its Headmaster, Mr L E Dludla, is a dedicated educator with a shining vision for the school. "Our first priority is to set up a computer centre for the learners," Mr Dludla explained. "Such a facility is vital not only as a teaching aid, but also to ensure that the children gain basic technical skills to improve their prospects of future work. For this, we need an air-conditioned room and the standard hardware and software."

The School's Functions Committee is planning a Prizegiving Day and a Dr Nembula Day as two key fundraising events. "The Prizegiving Day is intended to inspire our learners to strive for a positive approach to their future," said Mr Dludla. "Dr Nembula Day will be held in honour of this great man, not only to revive knowledge about his life and work, but to illuminate him as a role-model for the learners."

For both of these events to be successful, sponsorships are urgently needed. "We need prizes such as bursaries and books, lab equipment, art materials and funds for renovations to some of the school buildings, which are completely dilapidated," said Mr Dludla. "This is a very poor community, so the parents are not able to contribute towards the upkeep of the school."

We then met with members of the School Governing Body, including its Chairman, Mr S P Cele, Mr N R Gudazi (Deputy-Principal), Mr D R Shange (Head of Languages), Mr B Pillay (Head of Science), Mr R N Makhanya (Head of Humanities) and Mr J Dlamini. In sharing their perspectives on the HIV/AIDS epidemic, they felt that access to treatment was as important as the provision of awareness campaigns.

They also held strong views on the government's stance regarding the causal link between HIV and AIDS, saying that it had resulted in confusion within communities and delays in progress towards finding effective solutions to the spread of the epidemic. They endorsed COSATU's call for a monthly HIV/AIDS levy to be deducted from workers' salaries in order to build up funds for treatment. "The workers' fund for job creation is a positive move," they said, "but who will be working if they are sick and dying of AIDS-related illnesses?"

The Governing Body was very supportive of the YMCA's Masimbambane Project. "We are grateful for the counselling services offered by the Project to our learners and to the wider community," said Mr Dludla, "and for helping to decrease the stigma underlying the epidemic. We, as a society, need to view HIV/AIDS as a disease like any other, and we as a school community are willing to help in the facilitation of the YMCA's work in any way we can."

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