Amantombazana asakhulayo ahlala eTrenance koBulawayo athole usizo oluvele kunhlanganiso eye My Sister’s Keeper, olwemphahla yokusebenzisa nxa besesikhathini.
Abenhlanganiso eye My Sisters Keeper eyakoBulawayo bathi bacabanga ukusungula umkhankaso wokuphathisa abasakhulayo ngemfundiso kanye lokubanikeza imphahla yokusebenzisa lapho besesikhathini okungela mbhadalo.
Lokhu kungemva kokunanzelela ukuba ubhubhane lweCovid-19 lusuke lwahlasela intsha ekutholeni imali yokuthenga impahla zokusebenzisa esikhathini ngoba abanye abazali behlezi isikhathi bengasebenzi, kwathi abanye balahlekelwa yimisebenzi okudala ukuba bengenelisi ukunakekela imuli zabo ngokugcweleyo.
Umnumzana Adrian Moyo obona ngokuqhutshwa kwenhlelo kunhlanganiso eye My Sister’s Keeper uchasisa kabanzi ngalokhu.
“Nginanzelele ukuthi abantwana abangamantombazana abanengi baphakathi kodubo lokuthi njengoba abazali bengasatholi imali eyenelayo ngenxa yobhubhane lweCovid-19 kanye le lockdown. Lokhu sekudale ukuthi abantwana bengasatholi izinto ezeneleyo. So lami ngizibuzile ukuthi ncedo bani engingabuya lalo esigabeni sami. Ngasengihlala phansi labangane bami, bangiphathisa ukuthi sithenge ama pads ngiqalise ukuthi ngibasize abantwana, yilo uhlelo engiphezulu.”
Unkosikazi Beatrice Ndlovu umqeqeshi kunhlanganiso eye My Sister’s Keeper uthi ngokuswela abasakhulayo bengacina bewela ezimeni ezingabafaka engozini yokudlwengulwa.
“Sinika ama adolescents imfundiso nge menstrual hygiene ngoba khathesi kungadela oAunt njengakudala. Nxa sixoxa ulakho ukuthi akhululeke, abuze imibuzo. Ku community bakhona abanye abacina bengayanga esikolo ngoba beswele ama pads. Njalo sebewaswelile, zikhona endlela ezibuhlungu abazithathayo kanye lamanye ama perpetrators angathatha i advantage ngoba umtwana eswela. Sikhangelele ukuthi abantwana abancane bengaze badubeke ama pads until kuze kubathume ukuba bangene kundawo ezingafanelanga.”
Osakhulayo unkosazana uNokuthula Nkomo ukhuluma ngenhlupho abahlangana lazo nxa besesikhathini.
“Thina njengamankazana sihlangana lenhlupho ezinengi nxa siku period. Siyahlupheka ukuthi sithole ama pads, abantu esihlala labo abasebenzi sihlala labogogo. So sicina sisebenzisa izinto ezingekho hygienic ukwenzela ukuthi singangcolisi ama uniforms. Sicina sisebenzisa amalembu kanye lokunye nje okungacina kusilimaza.”
Unkosikazi Melissa Sibanda umhlali wakoBulawayo ukhuthaza uhulumende ukuba afake ezikolo inhlelo zokuthunga okokusebenzisa nxa abesifazana besesikhathini.
“Nxa sikhangele indaba zokungena esikhathini ngibona uhulumende wethu elomlandu ngoba khathesi ama pads intengo yakhona iphezulu kwe RTGS$100, okuyimali engakwaniswa ngumuntu wonke. Besicela ukuthi siphathiswe kunhlelo ezingabe zingezokuthunga ama pads kumbe ekwehliseni intengo. Sicela inhlanganiso zabomama zingenele ukuthi mhlawumbe wonke umuntu ongumama abe le skill esokuthunga ipad kumbe vele akube yinto abantwana bonke abangamankazana abayifundiswayo ezikolo ukuthunga amapads ukwenzela ukuthi bengacini besebenzisa izinto ezingabafaka engozini yemikhuhlane.”
Umnumzana Thembelani Sikhosana umongi uchasisa ngokubaluleka kokuhlanzeka ngesikhathi abesifazane besesikhathini.
“Kufanele umuntu abekwazi ukuthi ugeza njani, asuke ngaphambili esiya emuva ukwenzela ukuthi engathathi ingcekeza evela ngemuva eyisa phambili. Okunye njalo yikuthi abantu basebenzise isepa abayijayeleyo kanye lokungafaki iminwe phakathi ngoba kulakho ukuletha imikhuhlane. Okuqakathekileyo njalo yikuba lokhu akusebenzisayo kungabe kungama pads loba yini akukhiphe ngemva kwamahola amane kusiya ayisithupha. Igazi lilakho ukuthi lingaphuma emzimbeni lihuge igcikwane kumbe ingcekeza. Ingcekeza le yiyo esingadala imikhuhlane. Okunye okuqakathekileyo yindlela yokulahla ama pads lawa ngoba kulakho ukuthi kulethe umkhuhlane nxa lapho impukane zingahlala ziphinde zizohlala ekudleni sokungaletha ukugula emulini.”
Ngomnyaka ophelileyo unkosikazi kaMongameli welizwe umama u Auxilia Mnangagwa ngenhlanganiso yakhe eyeAngel of Hope foundation ebambane lebandla leLatter Day Saints basungule uhlelo lokufundisa uzulu ukuthunga ngamalembu impahla zokusebenzisa nxa owesifazane esesikhathini. Lokhu kulakho ukwethula umthwalo wokuthenga nyanga zonke njalo kwethule umthwalo kulabo abaswelayo abengenelisi ukuthenga lawo awezitolo.