We all know that Africa , South of the Sahara has the largest estimated HIV/Aids population in the world. South Africa has more people living with HIV/Aids that any other country in the world - - and estimated official figure of 5,7 million in 2009.
Almost one in three women aged 25 - 29 and over a quarters of the men aged 30 - 34 are living with HIV/AIDS. (www.avert.org/aidssouthafrica.htm)
"The impact of the AIDS epidemic" says this report, is the devastating effect on children in a number of ways.... The age bracket that AIDS most heavily targets - younger adults - means that it is not uncommon for for one or more parents to die from AIDS (sic) while their offspring are still young. The number of premature deaths due to HIV/AIDS has risen significantly over the last decade from 39% to 75% in 2010. (www.doh.gov.za/docs/reports-f.html)
But another set of estimates give us a more startling statistic. When asked to estimate the number of persons, male female and children who are living with the HIV virus or have AIDS, child and youth care workers and home-based care workers in a semi-rural village in the North West Province of South Africa and in a Semi-urban Township in the Gauteng Province put the figure at 50%. About half of the full population Including older people who ,they said, were at risk as they were largely ignorant of the way the virus is transmitted especially when caring for their HIV positive grandchildren.
Official statistics are put together on the basis of official attendances at clinics and hospitals, but this is "shoe-leather" research (African style) in the town and village and is sometimes informally more accurate.
The impact of ARVs has to have an effect on the statistics and premature deaths. It also has an effect on the lifespan of children living with the virus. They're living longer......so we are finding young people in the high Schools with the virus and taking ARVs
I was told, on the same day,in the semi-rural village, of two girls in this age group - both 16 who have been affected in all the ways mentioned so far. Both 16, both orphaned, both living with the virus, both on ARVs
...and both given up hope.
Lets take Lebogang
She has two children aged 3years and 18months..... and remember... she is 16. She is living with HIV/AIDS She lives alone with the children in an RDP house (Reconstruction and Development Project) This at age 16 makes her the head and responsible for a child headed household. She lives in abject poverty . She does have the professional (daily) support of a child and youth care worker from the Isibindi Project in the village.... a project for the professional care of orphans, child-headed households and vulnerable children as a result of HIV/AIDS.
Lebogang has given up hope.
These are here arguments:
Whats the point
I'm going to die anyway
Who cares?
Why should I care?
I have nothing to live for actually
I am going to get sick and die ... just like my mother did.
These are exactly the same words that I heard from a youth of about the same age who was in deep trouble with the law. He had lot both parents at the same time.
and these are the words of Refilwe the other girl in the same village and in a granny headed household. She has dropped out of school. living in depression and doing nothing. Especially she is refusing her ARVs. These children have given up hope..... not just a passing moment. They really don't see any point to it any more.
It is a very dangerous place to be.
Lets take Lebogang:
She has amazing strengths. She is clever. She has an ability to read complex situations in the moment and to take advantage of them.. for her own benefit. She can plan and execute in a flash. Sh knows how to use her qualities, strengths and assets to get where she wants to be.
But she has lost hope.
For Lebogang there IS NO FUTURE. only the present and in the present she has to make the best of what she has. So,she has sex with older men(30 something). She knows how to play the "5 Cs game" ... Cash, Cellphone, Clothing.... (not yet the Car and Condo... but she might yet get there ! ) and the "F Game", Food, Furniture , Finance. She also steals clothing and money when the opportunity arises.She doesn't take her ARVs... she sees no point.She dropped out of school three months ago. She has no reason to get up in the morning, so if it were not for the child and youth care worker, they would not get their ARVs, get breakfast or get to the creche.
BUT from a child and youth care perspective there is hope for Lebogang. She has all the strengths and capacity to make good.She can have hope.
Lebogang excels at netball. It is easy to see how all the strengths that she has can be used in a game like this. She really is good. As a child she comes to the local village "Safe Park" and there in the afternoons she demonstrates her play-making ability by helping the other girls.... she steals their clothing!... but she can and does coach... she can even coach the coach.
Because she has dropped out of school, she isn't playing for a team.... but she could. Rhe nearest town isnt that fara aay and with a little help she could be introduced into a club, a team and play tournament netball. She would be on her way to local, regional and provincial and representation.
There can be hope
And then if she has something to live for. some purpose in her life. She might take the ARVs. ... because if she can live for another 7 to 9 years there will be a cure.
In the meantime we have Lebogang and many others like her who have given up hope.
This is the work of the child and youth care worker in Africa and in South Africa.
We can turn these young lives around
No comments:
Post a Comment