Happy Holidays

Monthly Update: November/December

Read a blog exclusively about our World AIDS Day celebrations here.

The 10^th of December was a sad day here for African Impact St Lucia as we said goodbye to our final three volunteers as they left to return to their homes after a very successful and productive six weeks. Read on to discover how we closed up the projects for the 2012 year.

Creche

Throughout November, volunteers were teaching at Snenhlahla Crèche, the last crèche in our rotation which now means that each crèche in Khula Village has received 12 weeks of lessons prepared by African Impact volunteers and staff.

Midway through the month, volunteers implemented a new style of teaching that will be put into place next year at all the crèches where we teach. This new idea involves dividing the children into groups and having a volunteer at each “station.” Volunteers prepared a seven minute activity for each station and when that time was up the children would move onto the next station. This means that the learners are in smaller groups which will make it easier for them to learn. Smaller groups of learners also allow volunteers to give each one more individual attention and it helps hold the learner’s concentration, making for a more interactive morning at crèche.

Mama Gumede cuts the graduation cake!

African Impact volunteers were part of a very special day at Inkanyezi Crèche on Friday the 16^th of November when seven of the children graduated! We started the morning helping set up chairs, transporting tables, DJ equipment and making food to feed 100 people. African Impact also created certificates for each of the graduating students – something that had yet to be done for Inkanyezi’s previous graduates. The graduating students were dressed in gowns and hats and presented to the audience what they had learned this year at crèche. This was followed by a heartfelt speech from Mama Gumede who thanked everyone involved in making her crèche such a success.

Afterschool Club

As the holidays grew nearer the children at Khula Afterschool Club were fewer, however when time allowed us we would do arts and crafts, puzzles and even a spot of dancing with the kids.

At Ezwenelisha Afterschool Club, since the children live on the school grounds we were never short of children to entertain. Although some were sitting exams, plenty remained to play football, read stories, make name badges, and more.

On December 5, Sofie and Nokwethemba attended the Monzi Primary School Graduation for Grade R and Grade 7. The theme of the day was ‘My Life, My Future’, and Business Manager Sofie gave a small HIV Education lesson. Together with the police speaking about crime and drugs, and one of the nurses from Ezwenelisha Clinic speaking about healthy living, among other speakers, the entire day gave great advice to the graduates about taking responsibility for their lives.

Adult Literacy Club

A rewarding way to spend our last week on project was giving the ladies from our Ezwenelisha ALC class their certificates. The ladies were awarded certificates for completing 8 weeks of English lessons with us. It was decided that they would not have to sit a test but that the current course was to generate excitement and interest for next year and our current students are keen to return to continue to learn English with us into 2013. Next year we hope to follow the New Headway books which make learning and teaching English very simple.

Medical

Volunteers celebrated World Diabetes Day (14^th November) at Khula clinic by preparing and presenting an informative speech on the condition. Volunteers Niels and Elsbeth spoke to the patients that were waiting to be seen and held an open question and answer session for the people who still had questions afterwards. They also distributed information leaflets to everyone that were double sided – one side English and the other side isiZulu. To complete their morning, volunteers joined Ezwenelisha Support Group at Yoga instructor David’s house where they continued to discuss diabetes and enjoyed juice and biscuits while sitting around the pool.

As the end of the year drew to a close medical volunteers and Nokwethemba began seeing and preparing patients with necessary supplies and clinic runs for over Christmas.

Our home based care folder that was ‘reviewed’ by past volunteers in October was further improved as volunteers Jenni and Niels created a ‘Red, Orange and Green Light’ system. This will tell future volunteers whether a particular patient needs to be seen once, twice, or three times a month.

To keep past medical volunteers updated on your patients here are how some of them are doing:

Big Mama – Big Mama been in great spirits when we have gone to visit her over the past six weeks. She looked a lot brighter and in less pain than when we have visited her in the past. Volunteers also spent time with her suggesting small exercises that she can complete every day as she is very keen to lose weight.

Gogo Breast Cancer – unfortunately Gogo Breast Cancer’s wound is still weeping. Volunteers cleaned and redressed the wound and have given her extra bandages so she can keep her wound clean over the Christmas holidays.

George - is out of hospital and back at home.

Bheki -  Becky’s Karposi’s Sarcoma has now spread to cover the whole of his left leg. The sores are no longer oozing which is a good thing however he does still feel pain in the joints at his toes. Volunteers left Bheki with painkillers and Savlon wash in order to keep the sores from becoming infected again.

Garbage Pick-Up

Lots of people are still interested in participating in our Garbage Pick-Up project, which has flourished over the past four months. This project, which started in August, finished last week and has had over 100 people from Khula involved in picking up trash around the community.

Still a favourite amongst volunteers and staff, it is always nice to see the difference we are making – which is evident when volunteers must load 20 bags of garbage into the cars to be brought to the dump.

One of our patients receiving her Bronze Certificate.

Gardening / 10 Families

With crèches coming to a close for Christmas and Afterschool clubs starting to get quiet the volunteers have had a very active few weeks with lots of building projects. Volunteers continued to make bricks for the next stage at Inkanyezi Crèche. Some mornings (which have longer project hours) volunteers made over 50 bricks and in the afternoons over 30.

Volunteers have also completed making gardens for each of our 10 Families. As part of our 10 Families programme, those involved who have gained over 10% of their original body weight and show improved energy levels and positive living receive a garden from African Impact. We are proud to tell you that everyone on our 10 Families programme has reached this stage.

Another garden that the volunteers have tended to is our AMREF garden. Volunteers over the past four weeks have all had a hand in weeding the garden. Volunteers collected onions, carrots, chillies and tomatoes that were then delivered to our Home Based Care patients. Now the garden has been cleared they planted peanuts and beans as we are coming into the summer months these crops need little water to flourish.

Other news

Volunteers have been jam packing their weekends to make the most of their time here. One weekend all the volunteers and staff headed through iSimangaliso Wetland Park where they had a very successful game drive seeing buffalo, kudu, warthog, water buck, hippo and rhino before they reached Cape Vidal beach where some volunteers went surfing while others sunbathed, read a book and prepared for an afternoon braai. This is always a favourite among volunteers as after a busy week it is nice to have some down time.

Another exciting tour that our November volunteers were lucky to go on was the Leopard Mountain Bush Walk. This tour took the place of Ghost Mountain because it is now too hot to hike the mountain. On their walk volunteers got caught between two rhinos and a lone buffalo. This lengthened the suggested time of their walk (as you can imagine!) having to dodge these extremely dangerous animals but volunteers said it was one of the most exciting things that they have ever done!

Celebrating World AIDS Day 2012

Local girls pose for a picture on our garbage
collection project the day before the event.

When the first individuals suffering from AIDS were discovered in the United States in 1981, there was no such thing as World AIDS Day. These individuals suffered in a silence that surrounded HIV/AIDS for years, particularly in America but also throughout the world, until the first World AIDS Day in 1988.  

For us at African Impact – St Lucia, the 1st of December is likely the most important date on the calendar. It’s a line underneath all of the work we do throughout the year with AIDS orphans, HIV education and support groups in the communities in which we work.

Worldwide, an estimated 33.3 million people are living with HIV, and more than 25 million people between 1981 and 2007 have died from the virus, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in history.

Sub-Saharan Africa remains the main battleground in the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS, and South Africa is an important area to work in because of the large number of individuals living with the virus. Our message on World AIDS Day was one of education – particularly surrounding HIV prevention and positive living.

An important part of raising awareness in a province whose HIV infection rate is approximately 39% is getting tested, knowing your status and living positively. Living in an area where life-saving antiretroviral treatment is available means individuals can still live long, healthy lives with HIV, and prevent transmission to their partners and children.

Volunteers operate a condom demonstration
booth at the local clinic on World AIDS Day.

After a very successful World AIDS Day campaign in 2011, we decided to join forces and hold an event in partnership with the Sipho Zungu Clinic in Khula Village and Peace Corps volunteer Danielle Piccinini. The end result was a day filled with local talent, speakers and activities for kids and adults. Alongside the main event, the clinic and local NGO the Africa Centre held testing and counseling for HIV/AIDS and promoted sexual health check-ups for women and men.

Volunteers and staff spent the morning preparing food and setting up the event, which lasted the majority of the day and hosted over 400 people. With healthy living parcels to give out (which included toothbrushes, toothpaste and condoms), the volunteers also tested the crowd on their knowledge of HIV and gave out prizes for those who could correctly put a condom on a wooden penis. 

This year’s UNAIDS Global Report detailed an epidemic that is on the decline, but there is plenty more to be done in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Travel restrictions on the HIV positive, human rights abuses in a number of nations and the ongoing battle to educate individuals on prevention and treatment remains paramount if next year’s figures are to show a continued decrease in the epidemic’s power.

We were proud to do our part this year in an area of the world where education is so needed, and although we work towards the goals of World AIDS Day every day of the year, to be able to celebrate with the rest of the world gives us a real high.

World AIDS Day is not only important for those 33 million HIV positive individuals living on all corners of the globe – it is an important day to remember those who perished first without the worldwide support of a day to encourage acceptance and spread knowledge. 

We were Live Tweeting from our World AIDS Day event!

Check out the full album of photographs from the day here.