Cishe zingu-17 izingane ezizalwa nokungezwa okungapheli eNingizimu Afrika nsuku zonke, okungaphezu kwezi-6 000 ngonyaka
SHEILA MHLONGO
INyanga Yokuqwashisa Ngezithulu iyithuba lokugubha umphakathi wezithulu waseNingizimu Afrika, ukuqhakambisa ukunotha kwesiko lezithulu kanye noLimi Lwezandla LwaseNingizimu Afrika (SASL), nokuzibuza ukuthi yini esingayenza ukuze sakhe izwe lapho izingane eziyizithulu nalezo ezingezwa kahle zingachuma futhi zifinyelele emandleni azo aphelele.
Indikimba yalo nyaka ethi, “Uthando Nokwethembana”, isikhumbuza ukuthi ukuxhumana nezingane akuncikile endleleni ezizwa ngayo imisindo yomhlaba. Kuncike ekutheni abantu abaseduze nazo bayakwazi yini ukufinyelela kuzo ngolimi eziluqondayo, kusukela zisencane ngangokunokwenzeka. Kwa-Hold My Hand, lokhu kuqala ngombono olula othi: yonke ingane ifanelwe ukuthola ulimi, ukuxhumana nokwakha ubudlelwano kusenesikhathi.
Cishe zingu-17 izingane ezizalwa nokungezwa okungapheli eNingizimu Afrika nsuku zonke, okungaphezu kwezi-6 000 ngonyaka.(1) I-National Strategy to Accelerate Action for Children (NSAAC), eyagunyazwa yiKhabhinethi yabe isikhishwa uMnyango Wezokuthuthukiswa Komphakathi (funda lapha), ibheka ukuhlolwa kokuzwa kwezingane ezisanda kuzalwa njengohlelo olubalulekile olungasheshisa ukuthuthukiswa kwezingane. Iphinde icele ukuthi ukungezwa kuhlonzwe kusenesikhathi, kungenelelwe ngesikhathi, kusekelwe abazali nabanakekeli, kuphinde kusetshenziswe nezindlela ezibandakanya wonke umuntu.(2)
Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi ukuhlonzwa kusenesikhathi kokungezwa kuvulela ingane indlela yokufunda ulimi. Lokhu kungaba uLimi Lwezandla LwaseNingizimu Afrika (SASL), ulimi olukhulunywayo noma kokubili. Uma sazi kusenesikhathi ukuthi ingane izwa kangakanani, nayo isheshe ikwazi ukuxhumana, ukufunda, ukwakha ubudlelwano nokubamba iqhaza emhlabeni oyizungezile njengoba ikhula. Nokho, ukuhlolwa kokuzwa kwezingane ezisanda kuzalwa akukatholakali kuwo wonke umuntu eNingizimu Afrika. Lokhu kusho ukuthi izingane eziningi zivame ukuhlonzwa sekudlule iminyaka eminingana zazalwa.
INyanga Yokuqwashisa Ngezithulu iyithuba lokuphonsela inselelo imibono enganembile ngokuthi kusho ukuthini ukuba yisithulu. Ukuba yisithulu akuyivimbi ingane ukuba ifunde, ixhumane, ibambe iqhaza noma ichume. Nokho, kusho ukuthi amakhaya, izindawo zokufundela izingane ezincane, izikole kanye nemiphakathi kufanele kuhlelwe ngendlela evumela izingane ezingezwa kahle ukuba zibambe iqhaza ngokugcwele. Lokhu kudinga ukuthi imikhakha yezempilo, imfundo kanye nezinsizakalo zomphakathi isebenzisane ukuze kungabikho ngane esala ngaphandle ngenxa yezikhala eziphakathi kwezinhlelo.
Izingane eziyizithulu azichazwa yilokho ezingakwazi ukukuzwa. Imiphakathi yezithulu inezilimi, amasiko nobuwena bayo, kanti abantu abayizithulu babamba iqhaza empilweni yaseNingizimu Afrika kuyo yonke imikhakha nasemakhoneni wonke ezwe. Ukunika izingane ukufinyelela olimini olunothile nolungokwemvelo zisencane ngangokunokwenzeka akusho ukuzama ukuguqula lokho eziyikho. Kusho ukuzinika isisekelo sokuxhumana, ukwakha ubudlelwano, ukufunda nokuziveza ngendlela yazo. Uma ingane enokungezwa ithola ulimi kusenesikhathi, ikwazi ukuxhumana futhi ibe sendaweni enokwesekwa, ingachuma.
“Sinethemba lokuthi wonke umuntu angasebenzisa le nyanga ukuze afunde kabanzi ngokuthi kusho ukuthini ukuba yisithulu, agubhe isiko lezithulu noLimi Lwezandla LwaseNingizimu Afrika, aphinde asekele ukufakwa ngokugcwele kwabantu abayizithulu empilweni yaseNingizimu Afrika,” kusho uDkt Noxolo Gqada, oyiNhloko Yamasu kwa-Hold My Hand.
“Siphinde sikhuthaze abazali nabanakekeli ukuba bathole ulwazi olwengeziwe ngokuhlolwa kokuzwa kwezingane zabo, futhi bakhumbule ukuthi ukwakha ubuhlobo nengane akuncikile endleleni ezwa ngayo, kodwa kuncike endleleni oxhumana ngayo nayo.”
UDkt Gqada wengeze wathi: “Abasebenzi bezempilo, imiphakathi kanye nohulumeni bonke baneqhaza okufanele balibambe ekuqinisekiseni ukuthi izingane ezingezwa kahle zithola ulimi nokuxhumana kusenesikhathi, kanye nokwesekwa ezikudingayo ukuze zichume.”
UMnyango Wezempilo Nenhlalakahle waseWestern Cape (WCDHW) kanye ne-Hold My Hand bahlanganyele ohlelweni olusha olubizwa nge-Little Ears. UMnyango ugcizelela ukuthi ukuhlolwa kokuzwa okwenziwa ngezindlela zobuchwepheshe ezingathonywa umbono womuntu kuyindlela ethembeke kakhulu yokuhlonza ukungezwa kusenesikhathi.(3)
“UMnyango Wezempilo Nenhlalakahle waseWestern Cape ubeke eqhulwini ukuhlolwa kokuzwa kwezingane ezisanda kuzalwa ngaphansi kohlelo i-Start Well, olugxile esikhathini esibucayi sokukhula kwengane—izinsuku zokuqala eziyi-1 000. Lokhu kwenzelwa ukuqinisekisa ukuthi zonke izingane eWestern Cape ziyachuma futhi zifinyelela emandleni azo aphelele ngokuthi zisekelwe ezinsukwini zazo zokuqala eziyi-1 000, kugxilwe kakhulu ekungeneleleni kusenesikhathi, ikakhulukazi ngesikhathi esiseduze nokuzalwa.
Ngokwethulwa kwe-Little Ears, okuwuhlelo lokuhlola ukuzwa kwazo zonke izingane ezisanda kuzalwa oluhlanganisa ukuhlonzwa kokungezwa kusenesikhathi nokungenelela, ngokusebenzisa ukubambisana kukahulumeni nezinkampani ezizimele, sigxile ekwakheni ubudlelwano obunamasu, ekuphathweni kwedatha okuhlanganisiwe, ekuqinisweni kwezinhlelo nasekubandakanyeni izinhlangano zomphakathi.
Sijabule ngokuthi lolu hlelo luzoqala ezifundeni ezingaphansi kwaseGeorge, e-Oudtshoorn naseKhayelitsha ngasekupheleni kuka-2026, bese luqhubeka ekuqaleni konyaka ozayo ezikhungweni ezifanele,” kusho uNicolette Henney, oyiPhini Lomqondisi we-Early Life Course Unit eMnyangweni Wezempilo Nenhlalakahle waseWestern Cape.
Mayelana ne-Hold My Hand
I-Hold My Hand ingumkhankaso kazwelonke wezokuxhumana nokugqugquzela umphakathi, osekela i-National Strategy to Accelerate Action for Children (NSAAC). Inhloso yawo ukuqinisekisa ukuthi amalungelo nenhlalakahle yezingane kanye nentsha yaseNingizimu Afrika kubekwa eqhulwini.
I-Hold My Hand Accelerator for Children and Teens yasungulwa ukuze isheshise ukuqaliswa kwamanye amasu abalulekile abekwe eqhulwini ngaphansi kwe-NSAAC.
