A mother’€™s plea for AIDS orphans

Duration: 3min 41sec

Transcript

THANDEKA: Kukho intetho esiXhoseni ethi ‘€œalukho usana olungena nina|’€ lo ngumyalezo npohuma kumama uSisulu nothi kufuneka Amakhosikazi ukuba abuyele eMbo nalapho athi avavanye khona ubuntu babo nobunina babo.

Translation: There’€™s a Xhosa saying: ‘€œalukho usana olungena nina’€, which simply means that, there’€™s no orphan, every child belongs to a mother. That is the message from Mama Albertina Sisulu who believes that women should revisit their motherhood and humanity.

MAMA SISULU: I’€™ve been to two hospitals in Johannesburg, I couldn’€™t hold my tears when I left the hospitals. These children are there kept by the hospitals, nobody knows where they should be taken because they have no parents. Today even the relatives are running away from these children. Please look after these children. You are God sent to them as mothers. I’€™m saying this with a painful heart my dear children because I can’€™t do more now. But if I was still the Albertina, you know I would go around the whole world, the whole country and get the people to help these children.

Translation: Sendivela kwizibhedlele ezimbini eRhawutini, andizange ndikwazi ukuzibamba inyembezi zam xandishiya isibhedlele. Aba bantwana bagcinwa apha ezibhedlele kungekho bani owaziyo ukuba abathini kuba abanabazali. Namhlanje nezizalwane ziyababaleka. Ndiyacela jongani aba bantwana. Nithunyelwe nguThixo ukuba nibe ngomama babo. Ndikutsho oku ndinentliziyo ebuhlungu bantwana bam kuba akusekho nto endinokuyenza ngoku kuba andisenguye uAlbertina lo nanimazi ngenxa yempilo. Bendiyakuphuma ndihambe ndicela uncedo kwihlabathi liphela ukuzama ukufumana uncedo lokuncedana naba bantwana.

THANDEKA: This is a plea to all mothers to open their hearts and homes for a good cause to help the AIDS orphans. Mama Sisulu praised the work of the women who fought as one against the oppression of apartheid and says this solidarity, if given a chance, can help in the fight against HIV/AIDS. On Women’€™s Day the 9th of August, Mama Sisulu addressed a group of women who attended the women’€™s celebration in Cape Town.

Translation: Umama uSisulu ubonga amakhosikazi   alwa ingcinezelo ngexesha lika rhulumente wocalucalulo esithi umanyano abalubonisayo ukuba lunokuthi luphinde lwehle ngoku lungenza inguqu kumba wentsholongwane kagawulayo. Oku ukuthethe ngemini yamakhosikazi nalapho ewakhuthaza ukuba avule iintliziyo nmakhaya awo khonukuze kuncedwane nabantwana abangenamakhaya ngenxa kagawulayo.

MAMA SISULU: We started our work my dear children not knowing that we will have you to help us. Thank my living God, even if now I cannot do much but I feel so great to have you doing this work. You belong to the world, you belong to the country, you belong to your children and grand children. I’€™m saying this because I want you to know that you are a woman in this world, you’€™ve got a lot to do.   I can’€™t say how many children I’€™ve been helping even of those whose parents died. We have been able to help them. We have graduates, we have everything they wanted I’€™m speaking to you to say continue with your good work. Look after the orphans that are being left in this country because of this disease called AIDS. That is your work my dear sisters don’€™t turn your back from them. You are there to be their mothers today. It’€™s not only you who should do that but even the fathers of these children. Your men therefore you married.

Translation: Saqala lomsebenzi bantwana bam singayazi ukuba sobe sinani nisincedisa. Ndibulela uThixo ophilayo, nokuba ngoku andinamandla okwenza okuthile kodwa ndichulumancile kuba nithabathele lomsebenzi kuni. Ningabelizwe nehlabathi ningabentsana zenu nabazukulwana benu. Nditsho oku kuba ndifuna nazi ukuba uyinkosikazi kwelihlabathi unoxanduva. Andinakho ukutsho ukuba bangaphi abantwana esele sibancedile sinabezidanga (izifundiswa) siphumeze neminqweno bebeyinqwenela. Ndithetha nani ndisithi qhubekelani phambili nomsebenzi wenu omhle ze ningabuyi ngamva nibatyeshelele. Nikho ukuba nbe ngoomama babo.   Olu asilo xanduva lwenu nodwa kodwa nabayeni benu enibatshatileyo nabangabazali kwaba batwana.

THANDEKA: The Actuarial Society of Southern Africa estimates that about 500 000 children in South Africa are terminally ill. About 5,6 million children under the age of 18 have lost one or both parents. By July 2003, 990 000 South African children under the age of 18 were maternally orphaned ‘€“ they had lost their mother. A further 2,1million children had lost their father. Mama Sisulu offers words of encouragement to mothers who are trying to build a brighter future for these orphans.

Translation: Ngokwengxelo yombutho I-Acturial Society of Southern Africa iqikelela malunga namakhulu amahlanu abantwana abagulela ukubhubha. Lengxelo ihambisa ithi malunga nezigidi ezintlanu zabantwana abangaphantsi kweminyaka eli-18 baye baphulukane nabazali babo. Ukanti kumnyaka ka2003 ngoJuly kuqikelelwa malunga ne 990 000 yamawaka yabantwana balapha eMzantsi Afrika abaphantsi kweminyaka elishumi elinesibhozo nabathe baphulukana noonina. Ukanti izigidi ezibini zabantwana zithe zaphulukana nooyise. Umama uSisulu ubongoza amakhosikzai ewakhuthaza ukuba mawazame ukwakha ikamva eliqaqambileyo kubantwana abangena bani nabadinga uthando.

MAMA SISULU: We are trying to get centres for these children because some of them, their parents have both died and they have no place to go. We are busy looking around to have centers where we can keep them and educate them. All my hope now, to you my dear sisters is to look after these children. Is to care for them is to do all you think they can need to be helped. They are in trouble. You are not going to get AIDS when you are helping these children. You are helping these children to get well and be human beings as you are. Look after the orphans of AIDS. Have volunteers my dear sisters who are going to going to help these children they are in need.

Translation: sizama ukufumana amaziko nalikhaya kwababantwana kuba abanye babo abazali sebalandulela eli gada. Apho sinokuthi sibagcine sibanike imfundo khona. Umnqweno wam ngoku kuni boodade bam kukuba nijongane naba bantwana yaye nibakhathalele badinga uncedo. Basengxakini. Anisoze nifumane ugawulayo nje ngokubanika uncedo. Nibanceda kuba nibenza abantu bazokukhula njengani. Ndiyacela ncedani aba bantwana abazinkedama ngenxa kagawulayo. Zamani nifumane abantu abazinekezeleyo ukuba bancedisane naba bantwana badinga uncedo.

E-mail Thandeka Teyise

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