TAC Homu branch discusses ARV’s versus traditional medicine
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- traditional healers discussing their challenges in working with HIV positive patients
When TAC’s Homu Branch in Limpopo was conducting their door to door campaign on HIV and TB, they found that many community members were defaulting on their antiretroviral treatment.
“This is because of there are some traditional healers in the villages that there claim to cure HIV /AIDS,” says Daniel Mathebula a community mobiliser at TAC Mopani. On the 09th of August 2012, the Homu branch brought together community health care workers, church leaders and traditional healers under the theme ARV’s vs traditional medicines at the Homu 14a Tribal Authority office.
The main purpose of the dialogue was to educate the community about the importance of ARV’s and adhering to treatment. But also give a space for community members to share their understanding of taking treatment but also get a perspective of why some patients choose to switch traditional medicine.
Mr Maxon Milambo, a traditional doctor in the village condemned the substituting ARV’s with traditional medicine and also condoned those who claim to cure HIV/Aids.
Sister Nkuna, sister in charge at Mapayeni clinic in her presentation stresses the importance of early testing and in her presentation spoke about the importance of adhering to treatment.
The traditional healers also raised concerns that people need to be more open and might need to disclose their status if they want to consult traditional healers.
This then became one of the resolutions, when patients seek help from traditional healers and disclose their status it is the role of the healer to refer them to clinics.
At the end of the dialouge it was agreed that traditional healers needed more educational programmes on HIV and ARV’s and follow up community dialogues were needed to also tackle issues like stigma and discrimination.
How to wear a male condom, Oscar Mabela demonstrate
On 14 December 2009, I uploaded a video on You Tube about wearing a male condom. Less than two years later, I was amazed by the views on that video, so far the video has been viewed over 11 700 times. This is wonedrful for a video uploaded from a rural district of Mopani in the unpopular province of Limpopo.
What's good about it is that it has not been done by the professionals, but ordinary people who sometimes are not significantly considered in their communities. This also demonstrate the impact of Treatment Action Campaign's Treatment Litaracy programme. The information imparted on Treatment Literacy Practitioners is positively used in sending messages the larger community. With this video, we have manages to send the prevention message across the globe, all in the courtesy of digital media, in this case, through social network, You Tube.
That is why soon, TAC Mopani is going to launch a documentary of work done in the district, focusing of Prevention of Mother-t0-child Transmission of HIV. Watch this space, stay glued to this blog for latest developments.
Watch the video below and tell me what you think, you can comment here or directly at You Tube.
In the video: Oscar Mabela, TAC's Prevention Treatment Literacy Practitioner based at Dr CN Phatudi Hospital outside Tzaneen.
Blog Post by Adam Malapa, TAC Mopani Communications Officer
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A women’s training ended with 42 000 condoms distributed, TAC Mopani organised
TAC Limpopo Deputy Chairperson, Annah Maluleke with boxes of condoms
On Friday 26 August 2011, Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) Mopani Community Health Advocacy department organised a public campaign where branch representatives from all TAC branches in Limpopo were invited. This was a closing activity of the four day training for women in TAC Limpopo which was held from 22 to 25 August 2011. The campaign was held at Giyani Multi-Purpose Centre and the theme for the day was “We turn Victims into survivors” promoting a halt in relationship-related violence and abuses.
As this campaign organised by women in TAC, we did not left the men out, we invited men from all TAC Limpopo branches to be part of the campaign. We believe that we need to work with them in fighting against gender-based violence in our communities.
ProGroup Foundation facilitated a participatory session under the topic “We turn victims into survivors”. This was to demystify the elements of abuse within a family set-up. An interesting debate was sparked when the facilitator asked “Does domestic violence only exist between a husband and a wife in a family set-up?”. A lot of people responded with passion, enthusiasm and respect for one another as participants. “If brothers are fighting in one household that is domestic violence, if in-laws are fighting, that is domestic violence” The facilitator said.
Later during the day, participants embarked on information and condom distribution campaign in Giyani Town. A total of 42 000 male condoms and 1 300 female condoms were distributed at the taxi ranks and market stalls around town. During the material distribution we have noted the following:
TAC and ProGroup members caring a box of condoms at Giyani Kremetat clinic
- People are still shy to take condoms in public, some people refused to take condoms when we handed them.
- Elder people felt that it was disrespectful to give them condoms. “What am I going to do with this?” One old lady asked in a market stall. “This can be your start point when you are talking to your children about safe sex” Solly Milambo, TAC Limpopo Chairperson said. Despite his response, the old lady insisted that, children of these days are not controllable and they don’t listen to their parents. But at the end she took the condoms, she just took them in pressure because other women sitting next to her stall accepted them without hesitation. We can change people’s perspective bit-by-bit.
Earlier during the week, in the workshop, the following were identified as challenges facing women on daily basis:
Health-related changes facing women on day-to-day basis
Lack of information about cervical cancer and if one is informed about pap smear service and she decides to go for pap smear in the public clinics, she runs a risk of being “The person who is trained on conducting pap smear is not available today”. Results for the pap smear test are either received late or not received at all by the patients.
Resolutions taken during the workshop
Women who participated in the training resolved the following:
To educate more women about pap smear, be it at churches, community gatherings and in health facilities.
Mobilise more women to go for Pap smear services.
TAC branches should engage community members in addressing the challenges as they are identified at health facilities.
Compiled by Shine Mabuza, TAC Mopani, Community Health Advocate based at Phalaborwa
and Jennifer Milambo, TAC Mopani, Community Health Advocacy Coordinator
Edited by Adam Malapa, TAC Mopani Communications Officer
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Violent teenage boy beats his parents, TAC Mariveni intervened
On July 19, Mariveni branch had a Gender-Based Violence (GBV) campaign at Shipungu village. The Stats from Ritavi SAPS indicated that Shipungu village has reported several cases relating to GBV. Every month, about three (3) cases of GBV are reported by residents of this village. TAC Mariveni Branch resolved to do door-to-door campaign in order to create awareness of GBV at Shipungu village. During door-to-door, members of the branch identified several challenges. Out of these challenges, three were referred to the local social worker based at Mariveni clinic.
Three main challenges identified
• A teenage boy (about 16-years-old) was allegedly beating his parents and siblings, demanding money to buy alcohol and tobacco. He was doing this often and sometimes the family had to sleep in the neighbours fearing for their lives. He was also causing problems from the school where he attends and the School had to suspend him because of his violent behaviour.
• A man age 50, was allegedly being beaten by his wife, the wife also took family money which was supposed to buy groceries and basic family needs and she allegedly used it for in playing cards.
• The branch identified a person with disability who has always been locked in the house. It has also been indicated that sometimes he was left without in that house without food for the whole day.
The branch had referred all these challenges to the local social worker.
A follow up campaign
On 16 August the branch had a follow up campaign, of GBV at the same village. This was to make a follow-ups on three challenges mentioned above. The following were the successes of the branch over the case reported above:
• The social worker manage to transfer the person with disability to place of safety
• Also the teenage boy who was troubling his family has gone back to school and has changed his behaviour. This was confirmed by his parents and he is now under the monitoring of social worker.
The branch will continue make a follow-up on the third case as on the day of the campaign the alleged victim was not reachable as we was at work at that time.
Branch achievements
Through our educational work we are conducting in this village, we can confidently say that we are working towards a positive change at Shipungu village. Social worker had indicated that since our campaign she has registered about eight (8) new cases of domestic violence from the residents of Shipungu village.
Blog post Jimmy Mongwe, TAC Mopani Community Health Advocate
Edited by Adam Malapa, TAC Mopani Communications Officer
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TAC Phalaborwa branch on HIV education
An educational session in one of the household at Lulekani Township
I recently managed to attend a branch campaign at Phalaborwa, Lulekani Township, 28 July 2011. When we arrive myself, Jennifer and Petronella we were exhausted by the way the condition was, it was unfairly hot. I’m saying unfairly hot because it was still part of winter season but unbearably hot.
Enough with the weather condition, now let’s get down to what I get paid to write about. This was another fascinating branch campaign. Immediately when we met TAC Phalaborwa’s Community Health Advocate, Shine Mabuza, she immediately paired us with a branch member, Ivy to go house-by-house educating members of the households about HIV and AIDS. In our first house, I didn’t know where to start since I have not formed part of the pre-campaign briefing, so I allowed Ivy begin the education in our first house.
My interest in this house was to observe the reactions of the members of the household. In this house we met a young man of about 17 years who by the way he is dressed, you could conclude that he has just woke up. He came outside with just a trouser with no top (shirt or T-shirt). When we told him that our visit could take a bit of his time, he then went into the house and put a T-shirt on.
When Ivy, a member of Phalaborwa branch started to introduce the topic of HIV, the young man raised some eyebrows a bit with a mix of a giggle. When asked why was he laughing, he said “I’m just interested in the topic, on offense”. Ivy continued and explained what she knows about HIV also engaging the young man by asking his some questions. Later on the young man asked what could happen if one sleeps with someone who is pregnant with somebody else. It was then that I started to understand the reason for the giggle at first place. I guess it was because he or someone close to him has recently been involved in such act.
The above situation is one of many risky behaviors that us young people engages in and which we tend to regret later. Even when we, you find that we do not go for HIV Counseling and Testing.
These are some of the reasons why TAC branches continue to provide educational sessions for our communities in a form of door-to-door campaigns to re-enforce the importance of taking an HIV test.
I believe that an HIV test is a way to go for young people and any other responsible adults.
See how Homu Branch have conducted their HIV Testing and Counseling Campaign
Blog post by Adam Malapa, TAC Mopani Communications Officer
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Dzumeri Branch Door-to-Door Campaign
On this blog post, I didn't want to bore you with a load on information that you wouldn't read at all, but
Standing: Rhandzu Bila talking to members of a household at Dzumeri village, Photo By Timothy Mathebula
just to give you a glimpse of Dzumeri Branch campaign conducted in July 2011. Two pictures will be enough for your eyes for now, but if you need to see more images click here. Thanks for visiting this post, your comments are highly appreciated, but if you post comments for the sake of posting, it will not be displayed. So post responsibly.
Blog post by Adam Malapa, TAC Mopani Communications Officer
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34 Tested for HIV on Branch Door-to-Door Campaign (TAC Mopani)
A Counsellor from Mapayeni clinic with a client at her home. Photo by Tony Baloyi
As a follow up for the door-to-door campaign conducted earlier this year by members of Homu branch, outside Giyani, another successful campaign has been conducted on the 14th of July at Mapayeni village. It is worth mentioning that the Health Care Workers from Mapayeni clinic also participated in large number to the success of this campaign. The theme of the campaign was HIV Counselling and testing and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
This is how the campaign was run; Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) Homu branch members went house-by-house providing education on the benefits of early testing for general community and pregnant women. In their educational one-on-one sessions, they also mentioned that they have Nurses and HIV Counsellors on board “If you would like to be counselled and tested, all you need it’s just to inform us and we will refer the counsellor to your house” said one of the members of Homu branch. If one request for counselling and testing, a TAC employee working as a Prevention Treatment Literacy Practitioner, Daniel Mathebula, will be beeped on his cell phone. Daniel will call the Nurse and or the HIV Counsellor and give her the house number where counselling and testing has been requested. A proper counselling session will then be conducted with the client at the comfort of their homes.
On this particular door-to-door campaign, the branch has managed to reach 264 people through one-on-one educational sessions, where 103 were males and 161 were females. 34 people were tested for HIV and 12 were further referred for TB screening.
Health Care Workers during TB Educational Session with a client. Photo by Tony Baloyi
This is how we did it in Mopani, it would be very interesting to get comments from other TAC Districts as to how do they conduct their door-to-door campaigns.
Blog post by Adam Malapa, TAC Mopani Communications Officer
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Mad-Mak Branch on 67 Minutes in Community Work
Members of Mad-Mak Branch in community work
Members of TAC in the Vhembe District in Limpopo, together with community members
Pushing the wheel barrow to fill up some damaged spots in the main road
including the local ward counselor has embarked on community action in support for The International Nelson Mandela Day. They spend their valuable time trying to repair some damage
in their village's main road. This event took place on the 15 on July 2011 just few days before Nelson Mandela's 93rd birthday.
Both Photos supplied by Hlayisani Ndimande
Blog post by Adam Malapa, TAC Mopani Communications Officer
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Mopani care workers conducts reading group session
Member of the Mopani team during reading group session at TAC Office
On Friday, 15 July 2011, The Treatment Action Campaign Mopani team of practitioners conducted a reading group session.The aim of the reading group is to create a debate on the current issues, identifying challenges and seeking possible solutions by members of the group. Below is a photograph taken during a reading group conducted by members of Treatment Action Campaign who works in Mopani, Limpopo, under Tzaneen and Letaba area during their weekly reporting meeting at TAC office in Tzaneen.
This is how it works: the team chose a topic or an article of their interest, all members of the group got a chance to read a paragraph or two, after reading the article, the chairperson of the meeting facilitates a discussion out of the topic read.
In this particular session, Equal Treatment (ET) issue 38 was used and the topic chosen was on page 18 and 19 where the main issues was about adherence and defaulter tracing.
After reading the articles members of the group debated on how can they assist patients to adhere to treatment while minimising defaulter rate.
Mopani PTLPs during a reading group session, ET 38 was used for this session
For me it was fun to see Lisbeth and Matilda who speaks Sepedi, being able to read Xitsonga and I also noticed that all members of the group were so surprised and have enjoyed the session.
Blog post by Adam Malapa, TAC Mopani Communications Officer
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Why people default from life saving medication-Mopani Practitioners’ Perspectives
Pills which were never opened from one defaulter traced by Oscar
I recently learned about a patient who has defaulted from ARV medication at Dr CN Phatudi Hospital just outside Tzaneen. So I decided to check with other people who are working from health facilities as to what could be the reason for defaulting from life saving medication. I have contacted people from the Greater Tzaneen Local Municipal area, the Greater Letaba Local Municipal area and Greater Giyani Local Municipal area under Mopani District Municipal area in Limpopo. When you read this blog post, you must pay attention on how different explanations links to one another.
Francinah Chauke is one of 20 Prevention Treatment Literacy Practitioners (PTLPs) working for Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) in Mopani District, Limpopo. A PTLP is a community-based educator at a health facility who teaches patients about treatment and prevention. One of the roles of PTLPs is to trace treatment defaulters –people who have recently failed to collect their medication.
In situations like one mentioned above, a PTLP needs to understand why a person has defaulted, and convince him or her to start treatment again. Unfortunately, for some this process occurs too late as HIV or TB may have done too much damage in the time that they have been off treatment.
“The main reason for defaulting is a social grant”, says Chauke. “Most people told me that they felt their grant was going to be terminated if their health improved, so they [would] rather stay unfit to maintain the social grant.”
These pills were never opened by the patient, what a waist of public funds
Oscar Mabela is a TAC PTLP at Dr C N Phatudi Hospital, Limpopo. “The major problem in my area is transport,” he says. “People have to use public transport to get to the facility while they don’t even have food to eat at their homes.” This problem links with the difficulty that Francinah noticed: when people have no food and no money for transport, many would rather stay at home until they are unwell and then apply for a social grant.
“People working on farms mostly do not have the time free to collect their treatment,” says Masingita
Mavodze from Rotterdam. “They would rather not even ask permission from their bosses because they need to protect their jobs”. Some people who migrate from one place to another for work do not even consider getting transfer letters that would allow them to obtain treatment closer to their next job.
During the door-to-door campaign at Mariveni village
In light of these findings, TAC Mopani assigned Chauke to work on local farms, educating people about the importance of taking treatment correctly and on time.
Blog post by Adam Malapa, TAC Mopani Communications Officer
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