SHEILA MHLONGO
Ukusetshenziswa kotshwala ngendlela ephephile kunciphisa umonakalo futhi kunikeza ithuba lelungelo lokuphila
Njengoba iNingizimu Afrika kade ibungaza uSuku Lwamalungelo Abantu, i-AWARE.org inxusa wonke umphakathi ukuthi uqaphele ukuthi ilungelo lokuphila, impilo enokuphepha liyahambisana nendlela ephephile yokusetshenziswa kotshwala ngendlela yokunciphisa umonakalo.
Kungaba ukuvikela izingane ezingakafiki eminyakeni esemthethweni ezingozini zotshwala, ukwenza imigwaqo iphephe ngokuvikela izingozi ezidalwa ukudakwa, noma ukuqinisekisa ukukhulelwa okuphephile, ukunciphisa umonakalo kuyisibopho somphakathi sonke esidinga sikuqaphele.
INingizimu Afrika ibhekene nenani eliphezulu kakhulu lomonakalo ohlobene notshwala emhlabeni, othinta imindeni, imiphakathi, kanye nabantu abasengozini enkulu kakhulu emphakathini. Kusukela ekuphuzeni kwezingane ezingaphansi kweminyaka, kuya emiphumeleni emibi yokushayela bedakiwe kanye nesifo i-Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), ukusetshenziswa kabi kotshwala kuqhubeka nokwephula amalungelo ayisisekelo alabo abathintekayo.
“Ilungelo lengane ekusaseni eliphephile nempilo enhle aliyona into engaqondakali. Kodwa-ke ukuphuza kwezingane ezingaphansi kweminyaka kuseyinkinga enkulu eNingizimu Afrika, okubeka intsha engcupheni yokuhluleka ezifundweni, izinkinga zengqondo, kanye nokwanda kwezigameko zobugebengu kanye nokulutha,” kusho uMokebe Thulo, oyi-CEO ye-AWARE.org. “Ngalolu suku Lwamalungelo Abantu, sinxusa abazali, othisha, kanye nemiphakathi ukuba bamemeze ngokucacile bathi #Cha kwabangaphansi kweminyaka engu-18 futhi basebenzisane ukuvikela izingane ekutholeni utshwala. Ngoba lokhu kungagwemeka.”
Njengoba iNingizimu Afrika inezinga eliphezulu kakhulu lomhlaba le-Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), i-AWARE.org iqhuba imikhankaso yokuqwashisa ngokubaluleka kokungaphuzi utshwala ngesikhathi sokukhulelwa. I-FASD iyagwemeka ngokuphelele, kodwa imiphumela yayo ihlala impilo yonke futhi ayilapheki, ithinta ukuthuthuka kwengqondo, ukuziphatha, kanye nekhono lomuntu lokuphumelela empilweni.
“Alikho inani lotshwala eliphephile ngesikhathi sokukhulelwa, futhi yonke ingane inelungelo lokuzalwa ingenawo umonakalo ongagwemeka,” kusho uThulo. “Njengomphakathi, kufanele sinike amandla futhi sixhase omama abakhulelwe ngolwazi olufanele nezinsiza zokwenza izinqumo eziphusile ezizoba nomthelela omuhle ezinganeni zabo.”
Njalo ngonyaka, izinkulungwane zabantu baseNingizimu Afrika bashonela ezingozini zomgwaqo ezidalwa abantu abashayela bedakiwe, lokhu kushiya imindeni idabukile nemiphakathi idumele. Ukushayela udakiwe akukhona nje ukuhamba budlabha kodwa kuyinkinga ekhinyabeza amalungelo abantu ngoba kubeka impilo yabangenacala engozini.
“Ukuphepha emigwaqweni kuyisibopho somphakathi wonke. Ukungashayeli uphuzile kusho ukuhlonipha ilungelo lokuphila layo yonke imoto nomuntu emgwaqeni,” kusho uThulo. “Usuku Lwamalungelo Abantu luyisikhumbuzo sokuthi ilungelo lokuphila liqala ngesikhathi singeniswa emhlabeni. Ukuvikela leli lungelo kusho nokuvikela izingane ekuphuzeni zingakafiki eminyakeni, ukuqinisekisa ukukhulelwa okungenabo utshwala ukuvimbela i-FASD, kanye nokugqugquzela izinqumo ezihambisana nokusebenzisa utshwala ngokuzibophezela. Njengoba sibungaza lolu suku, sinxusa wonke umuntu eNingizimu Afrika ukuba enze izinqumo ezifanele ungashayeli udakiwe, uthi #ChakwabangaphansiKwa-18, futhi usekele ukuphuza utshwala okuyi-zero ngesikhathi sokukhulelwa.”
I-AWARE.org izibophezele ekusebenzisaneni nohulumeni, abathintekayo embonini, kanye nemiphakathi ukuze kwakhiwe iNingizimu Afrika ephephile nephilile ngokusebenzisa utshwala ngendlela enesibopho nangokunciphisa umonakalo.
Ngalolu Suku Lwamalungelo Abantu, masiqaphele ukuthi ukuvikela amalungelo abantu kuqala ngezinqumo esizenzayo nsuku zonke ngathi, nemindeni yethu kanye nezizukulwane ezizayo.
