School for AIDS

Duration: 4min 06 sec

Transcript

SOUND EFFECTS: Children singing in the background

LYRICS: Learn, learn, learn. Remember, remember no money no job. No job, no money. No money no future. Let’€™s go back to school, let’€™s go back to school and learn, learn, learn.

Translation: Funda, funda, funda. Khumbula xa kungekho mali akukho msebenzi. Xa kungekho msebenzi akukho mali. Xa kungekho mali akukho kamva. Masiphindeleni eskolweni, masiphinelelni eskolweni, sifunde, sifunde, sifunde.

THANDEKA: Aba ngabantwana ngabase Lizo Nobanda Day Care Centre   eHarare eKhayelitsha neliziko elasekwa ukujongana naba bantwana abanyanga ziliqela bezelwe ukuyoma kwiminyaka emithandathu nabaphila nentsholongwane kagawulayo. Kuncinane okwaziwa ngaba bantwana ngogawulayo nemo yempilo yabo kodwa bona abantu abadala baye babangcikive bebonakalisa ukubenyanya. UNomonde Mtshutwana nongumzali wathi okubona indlela abaphatheka ngayo abantwana abaphila ngogawulayo wafuna ukuba yinxenye nabo wazama ukufumana uncedo ngoku uphethe kweli ziko.

Translation: These children are from Lizo Nobanda Day Care Centre in Harare Khayelitsha a crèche that accepts only HIV positive children. They do not know about their HIV status but they have been subjected to discrimination from elderly people and from their society.   Nomonde Mtshutwana, a mother of two, saw a need to help these children after seeing their plight at local crèches. Nomonde now a co-ordinates the centre with help from friends.

NOMONDE: Siqale ngo2001, siqala noonongendi base Nazareth House kuba safumanisa into yokuba aba bantwana abaphila nentsholongwane kagawulayo bayacalucalulwa kwezinye ii-creche. Siqale ngabantwana abana six months abantwana abathathu abangasekhoyo ngoku ngoku sinabatwana abayi 61 from 0 to 6 years.

Translation: We’€™ve started in 2001 with the help of the Nazereth House Nuns after we have discovered that children with AIDS are discriminated against in other crèches. At first we had only six children who were six months old who have since passed on. Today we have about 61 children ranging from ages 0 to 6 years.

THANDEKA: Ingaba baze njani ukuba kukho eli ziko abazali babo abo bathe bababhalisa babe ke abantwana bafunda apha?

Translation: How did the parents know about the centre?

NOMONDE: Bazi through iMSF ne Red Cross Hospital ne Groote Schuur Hospital. Ukuvula kwethu le crèche yayi ndim no Sister Pauline Jacobs owayesebenza eGroote Schuur sasihamba sifaka ii-posters kwezi zibhedlele e-MSF nase Groote Schuur sishiya nee- admissions forms nee-medical forms for ukwazisa le crèche so yangoo gqirha nee social workers ezi refer(a) aba bantwana apha kule crèche yethu.

Translation: They got to know through MSF, Red Cross and Groote Schuur Hospitals. During the infancy of this centre it was myself and Sister Pauline Jacobs who used to work at Groote Schuur we put up posters in the hospitals at MSF, Groote Schuur and we left admissions forms and medical forms and were giving out information about the crèche. It is doctors and social workers that helped us by referring these children to this crèche.

 THANDEKA: Ingaba impatho yabo yohluke njani kwezi zikolo nithi bebecalucalulwa kuzo?

Translation: How different is the condition of children at your crèche as compared to the schools where they were said to be discriminated?  

NOMONDE: Umehluko apha umnye kukuba basoloko besela amayeza banezi drugs abazityayo ekuseni xa befika ngo 8am batya ii-drugs nango 3pm ngooLweZithathu xa besitya i-bactrim umehluko ngulowo.

Translation: The difference is that here they get their treatment in the mornings at their arrival and at 3pm on Wednesdays when they drink bactrim.

THANDEKA: Ingaba ninabo oonesi balapha okanye oogqirha abalapha   nabathi bajongane naba bantwana?

Translation: Do you have any nurses or doctors that work in the centre that examines the children?

NOMONDE: Sinaye ugqirha, uDoctor Peter from e-MSF ufika ngoMvulo nangoLwesine qha abajonge but ukuba umntwana u-serious sinayo icombi yethu ibathathe abantwana sibase kwezo ndawo umntwana afumana kuyo i-treatment.

Translation: We do have a doctor. Dr. Peter from MSF his visits are Mondays and Thursdays. He comes and examines them but if there’€™s a serious case our combi rushes the child to the hospital where the child gets treatment.

THANDEKA:Ingaba ke kwezi crèche bebekuzo bebengafumani ukuhoywa oku kuko.

Translation: Weren’€™t they getting any support and care from the previous crèches where they were attending?

NOMONDE: Bebengafumani ukuhoywa okukuko kuba kaloku umzali ebeyifihla ebengafuni ukuchaza ukuba umntwana wakhe unesi sigulo. Oono crèche neh bane problem ngomntwana o- HIV positive banalanto ukuba uzakusulela abanye abantwana so bangakwazi ukuhoyeka ngolohlobo.

Translation: They were not getting enough care because their parents were keeping their children’€™s status a secret. The crèche owners had a problem of children living with HIV because they think that they (children) were going to infect other children. That’€™s why they were neglected.

THANDEKA: UNomonde uthi ikhona imicela mngeni abahlangabezana nayo kulomsebenzi wabo efana nexesha apho xa kufuneka umntwana endulukile kweligada.   Eyicacisa cisa.

Translation:Nomonde admits that they are faced with challenges especially those of them losing the children that die in their care. She explains what they are faced with in the centre.

NOMONDE: Iingxaki esizifumanayo yinto yokuba bayasweleka ixesha elininzi like asibi right nathi singotitshala akumnandanga xa kusweleka umntwana. Indawo yesibini abanye abantwana ii-family zabo ziba dump(e) kufuneka kengoku sizame sicele amalizo ukuba bangcwatywe apha ecreche. Baphuma kumakhaya ngamakhaya abanye bahlala noomakhulu abanye bahlala noo aunty abanye banabo abazali but sinabo abantwana abahlala apha full time abayi twelve. Yi Blue House ne Red House bahlala noomama ababagadayo ababini so bona baphantsi kwalapha.

Translation: Some of the problems we are faced with are that most of the time children die and this makes us as teachers at the centre to feel helpless.   It is not nice to see children dying. Secondly, some families dump their HIV positive children at the centre. We have to make plans to bury those children who die here [from AIDS-related illnesses] if their parents are nowhere to be found. Children come from different homes, some live with their grandmothers, some with their aunties and some with their parents. There are 12 children in our orphanage. They live with two mothers who are their caregivers at the Blue and Red Houses.

THANDEKA: Bafunda apha bayokutsho kwiminyaka emithandathu. Emveni koko kwenzeka ntoni kwaba bantwana?

Translation: They start their early learning till they are 6 years old. What happens then after?

NOMONDE: Iba ngabazali ababonayo ukuba umntwana mabamse phi because babhetele noko ngoku so bayafunda kwezinye izikolo but aba bahlala apha sibafundisa e-St Michel’€™s ikhona iprivate school bafunda khona.

Translation: It’€™s parents who decide where to take their children. They are much better now and they go to other schools as well, but for the ones who are residing at our centre they we take them to St Michael’€™s a private school.

THANDEKA: Ingaba ke niyachaza ukuba abantwana kufuneka befumane le treatment kwenzeka njani? Ii-referrals izinto ezinjalo.

Translation: What happens when you refer a child to primary school for admission? Do you tell the teachers that these children have to get treatment?

NOMONDE: Ixhomekeka emzalini xa sele ephumile apha kuthi abantwana esibachazayo ngaba bahlala e-orphanage because kufuneka beyifumene itreatment and silungiselela nento yokuba ukuba umntwana angopha oo-Miss bazilungiselele nangee gloves.

Translation: That decision lies with a parent once a child has completed his or her programme here. It’€™s only the children who are at the orphanage that we disclose their status because if in case of an accident whereby a child can bleed then the teachers should know what to do and should wear gloves.

THANDEKA: Ungathi ke ooMiss bakulungele oko xanibachazela kwezi zikolo.

Translation: Would you say that teachers are ready for that when you explain this to them?

NOMONDE: Ewe bakulungele for isaftey yabo because umntwana usenokopha neh, uMiss abe enenxeba engafakanga gloves engamcingelanga umntwana ukuba unjani kanti xa sibaxelela umntu uzakuzilungiselela ngangoku siyaba provide(a) ngee gloves.

Translation: Yes, they are ready for their safety. Say if a child bleeds and the teacher has a scar and she or he doesn’€™t know the status of the child if she attends to the child then anything is possible. If we tell them before hand then they will be cautious. We provide them with gloves.

E-mail Thandeka Teyise

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