Grandmother's wish for granddaughter to attend school
An 11-year-old double orphan of Nkambeni in Northern Hhohho, Thandekile Dlamini, has never seen the back of a classroom due to her physical disability. Her lower limbs are not strong, and therefore she uses a wheelchair to get around. Thandekile stays with her 88-year-old grand mother, Khabonina Fakudze, who also looks after her brother and ensures their education by making and selling mats. Khabonina is close to tears as she narrates the story of Thandekile and her brother. She says: “The two children have been staying with me ever since they were born and Thandekile was brought to me by her mother when she was still breast-feeding and eventually, we noticed that her hands were abnormally long and that she was not graduating to walk like other children.” “My daughter died in 2005 when Thandekile was 8 and I had never seen the father of the two children with my own eyes but I am told he also died some five years back. Right now I am struggling to bring up the two children because there is no one to support them. I try to plough the fields but I am old now and cannot see properly. I cannot even afford to clothe them, let alone provide them with blankets for the winter…they sleep with my thin throws.” “I want my disabled grandchild to go to school. The school is far from my home, and because she uses a wheelchair she would not cope. Worse I cannot afford daily bus fares for her to go to school. I also wish that my grand children can have clothes and blankets,” Khabonina laments. Thandekile’s brother, Philani, who is currently in form two, echoes his grandmother’s words: “Grand mother is trying the best for us but she can only do so much since she is old. We sleep with a thin blanket each and it can be very cold. When we are sick we rarely go to hospital but we use the traditional method of cleaning the stomach because grandma cannot afford it.” However, Philani has a positive outlook on life and he says: “When I finish school I want to be a policeman so that I can be able to build a house for grandmother to give her a better life than the one full of struggles. Right now grandmother does not find time for herself, even to go to church, because she is looking after my sister and we cannot find time to play since we help in the fields as well as looking after cattle.” Philani says: “My priority need is for my sister to go to school so that we can all be employed and give back to grandmother for looking after us by ensuring that she has the best in life.” Thandekile is one of many children living with disability who are unable to attend school in Swaziland because there are a few schools that cater for the children living with disability. Most of these schools are in the urban areas. The concerns of children with disabilities are getting considerable attention in the draft children’s policy which is in its final review. Thanks to advocacy and support of UNICEF and NGOs who are assisting the government of Swaziland.
A Rural Drama Club Tackles the Tough Issues
A Rural Drama Club Tackles the Tough Issues Langeni, December 2007 -- Well spoken with a broad smile, Bongiwe is a natural actress. Even when her stage is a big dusty field at the side of the road, she shines. Her gestures are big and bold, and the 20 or so community grandparents nestled under the trees follow her every move. At 17, Bongiwe is the second oldest member of the eLangeni Youth Drama Group. The other 15 members range in age from seven to 18 years. The day’s performance was one of their best, portraying how physical abuse of children impacts families and communities. “I feel fortunate to be in the club,” says Bongiwe. “School is almost finished and there isn’t much hope for a job here. But I could be doing nothing. Instead I’m having fun and helping my community.” An expert at creating other worlds for her audiences, Bongiwe has no illusions for herself about finding work. She knows that her chances of gaining employment, even with a high school diploma, are slim. Nearly 40% unemployment and 69% of the population living below the poverty line makes young people like Bongiwe vulnerable – to HIV infection, unwanted pregnancy, and a host of other ills that plague the rural poor, especially women, in Swaziland. But drama clubs like those in eLangeni keep youth busy, out of trouble, and help teach them something along the way. Recognizing the potential of drama, UNICEF teamed up with Swaziland Theatre for Children and Young People (SWATCYP) in 2006 to promote theatre as a tool to educate and entertain children and youth. A nationwide drama festival followed and clubs such as the one in eLangeni were formed across Swaziland. A similar programme was held in 2007 to reach out to even more children. The drama clubs don’t shy away from the tough issues. ELangeni Drama Club performances address child abuse, HIV, drug addiction and child trafficking – issues that Swazi children face each day. “More than 12,000 children have been reached through theatre programmes,” says SWATCYP Secretary General Maswati Dludlu. “These children teach one another and teach the communities at the same time. The children bring their own ideas and experiences to the performance so it makes the messages they send more meaningful.” eLangeni Drama Club performs within its own community and, when the club can raise the funds for bus fare, also performs in other parts of the country. Despite being together for only one year, the Club has proved itself, earning second position in a regional drama competition in mid 2007. “I know we’re making a difference in our community,” says Bongiwe. “We bring up issues that many people just don’t want to talk about. The club is so good for our people, and so good for me. I hope it continues.”
Disaster Relief: Providing hope for the future
Mvuma, August 2007 - “We don’t know what we will do for our future,” said Elizabeth Mavuso. “Everything we plant just dies and these people who are giving us help will not give to us forever.”
|
