Nurse wins award for AIDS work

More and more, Alexandra nursing sister Ramokone Rosina Letwaba began to realise who the silent victims of HIV and AIDS were: grandparents.

They struggled to come to terms with their children - those supposed to look after them in their dotage - dying before them, and their orphaned grandchildren also dying before them.

In addition, the grandparents also had no support network to help them cope.

So Letwaba, 36, a chief professional nurse at the Alexandra Clinic, did something about it, and for her efforts has won the Gauteng health department's inaugural Cecilia Makiwane Award.

The award, named after the first black registered nurse in Africa, was instituted to recognise nurses who go beyond the call of duty.

What Letwaba did was to start up a support group at the clinic to help grandparents look after their HIV-infected grandchildren.

She provided bereavement counselling, helped to improve their self-esteem, taught awareness of sexual abuse and provided a shoulder to cry on.

Counselling is also provided to the grandchildren, separately but in conjunction with their grandparents' therapy.

Letwaba, a small woman with quiet resolve and a passionate dedication to her work, has a strong sense of family and ancestry.

Indeed, at the weekend she travelled to the Potgietersrus area of Limpopo to give thanks to her ancestors for the recognition she had received.

She was also quick to point out that she would not have been able to do what she does without the unflagging support of her husband Phineas and son William, 7.

"There are weekends and holidays that I bring my work home with me. When my husband opens the door, here I am with a grandparent and a child and their suitcases, and I tell him: 'They are here to visit for the weekend'."

* Speaking at the awards ceremony on Friday evening, Gauteng Health MEC Dr Gwen Ramokgopa assured nurses that the government cared for them, "and values the contribution you make daily to make sure that we realise our vision to create a caring and humane society in which all South Africans have access to affordable, good-quality health care".

JM Segothe, a senior professional nurse from Pretoria's Weskoppies Hospital, was the first runner-up in the Cecilia Makiwane Awards.

Theresa Mabale, a chief professional nurse from Pretoria's Kalafong Hospital, and staff nurse Bonisile Dlamini from Benoni's Far East Rand Hospital were the second and third runners-up.