UNITE FOR CHILDREN UNITE AGAINST AIDS

August 1, 2008

Life is not easy at all for Swazi Children

In my 39 years of working in Swaziland as a nurse, I have not come across such a terrible time for children as in this present era of HIV and AIDS. My heart is saddened when I recall that in the past, children under one year used to suffer from preventable diseases such as diarrhea, measles, whooping cough and neo natal tetanus or malnutrition. Many were saved thanks to immunization, proper nutrition and hygiene. This was made possible with the help of community health workers who sensitized and taught mothers and through community partnerships.

Today, however, in this era of HIV and AIDS, many children in Swaziland lose both parents and even guardians. They are left to fend for themselves or are looked after by neighbours.

As I recently visited the Silele Clinic in southern Swaziland, the nurses told me about the case of a 9 year-old girl, Nompilo Hlawe. She is a double orphan who had developed sores all over her body; her ears were severely infected, with pus oozing out of them. Nompilo often had a high temperature. She was brought to the clinic by a Rural Health Motivator who had come across her during her community work.

Nompilo became ill soon after she was born. Her mother, who was HIV-positive, died when she was three years old. The father was working in the mines and died when Nompilo was only two years old. Nompilo lived alone in her parental home with neighbours taking turns in ensuring that she received food.

At The Clinic

The nurses discovered that little Nompilo was HIV-positive and was suffering from one of the opportunistic infections that affect many people living with HIV. After examining the child, the nurses referred Nompilo to the main hospital for treatment; however, the Rural Health Motivator who took care of her did not have money to transport the child to the hospital. As a result, the nurses had to give Nompilo general antibiotics instead of getting her the attention of a medical doctor.

With about 69% of the population living below the poverty line, communities are finding it sometimes hard to extend a helping hand to those in need. I was called by the nurses to come to Nompilo’s rescue and took her to the main hospital where she received medical attention. She is currently recuperating and neighbours are helping her drink her medication regularly.

UNICEF is trying hard to encourage communities to care for such children through child protection programmes but the country’s serious poverty situation is making it difficult for many families to cope. UNICEF is currently considering cash transfers to families and guardians of orphaned and vulnerable children to ensure that their basic needs are met, however, the lack of resources is presenting us with a challenge. With your support, we can make such initiatives a reality for those in need.