Meet our people: Ndivhuwo Daba

 Ndivhuwo Daba (33) has been a Social Mobilisation Coordinator with Carryou Ministry since September last year but his life could easily have taken another path.
 "I completed three years of a university law degree in Limpopo and then, one day after school, I was stabbed and my life went haywire," he says. "I needed time to think and reflect, so I dropped out of university and came to Randfontein where my father worked.
 "Along the way I met Mzi (Tshikitsha) and he offered me a position with Carryou. Strangely, I always wanted to be a social worker, or something along those lines, as I like working with people. I love what I am now doing.
 "Unfortunately I chose the wrong degree but I have only one and a half more years to complete it and one day I will."
 Ndivhuwo's main function at Carryou is liaising with companies so health-testing and primary health education days can be set up for workers on the business's premises.
 "The response is generally very good," he says, "and we are able to supply them with statistics regarding the health of their employees, so they can do what is needed to follow up. Of course no information is given about individuals - that is confidential."

Radio

 Ndivhuwo led a nomadic type of life growing up.
 "My father's job saw us living in Limpopo, Botswana, Soweto and Lenasia," he says.
 His great love, outside of his job, is radio.
 "I started working on campus radio and then went to a radio station in Limpopo," he says. "I've been applying for part-time gigs on local radio stations but so far have had no luck."
 In a long-term relationship, Ndivhuwo has two daughters, one aged 6 years and the other, 7 months.
 "When not working, I'm kept busy by them," he says. "I also read a lot."

Meet our people: Lindiwe Peter

 Lindiwe Peter (52) is an HIV and AIDS Site Co-ordinator at Carryou Ministry.
 "I joined Carryou in 2006 when the organisation took over the running of health clinics in Randfontein area," she says. "I started at the Mohlakeng Clinic in 2000, as a volunteer counsellor, where I cared for bed-ridden TB patients, visited them, gave them treatment and ensured they followed their medication regimen.
 "It was very different from my previous job where I was employed as a Stockroom Clerk with a national clothing chain that eventually shut down and went out of business.
 "At the time I was also involved in Christian counselling with couples and teenagers and did a counselling course in Pretoria," she says. "So, when the clothing store closed its doors I volunteered at the clinic, where I counselled and did health-testing and HIV Prevention of Mother to Child training.
 "After Carryou took over the clinics I was selected to be sent to college, where I received a National Certificate in Counselling and was promoted to the position of Site Co-ordinator."

Supervision

 Lindiwe's job entails the supervision and control of the field counsellors at four clinics in Mohlakeng and Toekomsrus.
 "I have to ensure the counsellors are where they should be and fully equipped to perform their functions," she says. "I compile and check the statistics gathered and collate that information into a monthly report for senior management.
 "In addition, Government recognised the need for outreach and, as a result, we have taken our services beyond the confines of the clinics, to farms, factories, shopping malls and schools. The initiative is having a major impact and is very exciting and fulfilling.
 "I love nothing more than rolling up my sleeves and helping in the field when we are short-staffed."

Dream

 The proud mother of an 18 year-old daughter, currently in her second year of study at the North West University, Lindiwe is deeply involved in her church.
 "I am part of the inner-worshipping team, involved in the running and functioning of the church," she says. "I also cook and care for my 87 year-old mom and make soup and help the grannies in my community. Sometimes I am forced to hire a car to get them to the clinic or church.
 "My dream is to get my driver's licence and then somehow find a way to own a car."

An update from Vleikop

The Department of Health was there offering free testing and screening facilities to the local community. The programme is part of a partnership Carryou Ministry has with the Gauteng Department of Health.

 There is plenty going on at Vleikop, the site of Carryou Ministry's agricultural project.

 We popped in this week to take a few pictures.

Free testing and screening is offered for a variety of conditions.

Winter crops that will be used to provide food for Carryou's feeding schemes, are in the ground and doing well.

Testing and Social Mobilisation Programme produces positive results

 The Carryou Ministry Testing and Social Mobilisation programme, carried out in partnership with the Gauteng Government, is producing significant, positive, results.
 This is according to Programme Manager, Mzi Tshikitsha.
 "We are seeing definite changes in the lifestyles and habits of many in the communities we serve," he says. "People are using condoms, not only themselves but are also distributing them to friends. This project has been going for five and a half months and, in that period, I estimate we have distributed close to 450 000 male and female condoms.
 "The main reason for that, is we are delivering condoms directly to the communities, making them more accessible and available. People no longer have to visit a clinic that is often far away from where they live," he says.
 "Although we do not yet have the final numbers, all indications from our testing programmes, show the rate of new HIV infections is falling dramatically."

Challenges

 But Mzi is quick to acknowledge there are challenges.
 "Youngsters, particularly boys, believe they are immortal and know it all," he says. "There is sometimes resistance because they figure they've heard it all before. But the fact is, things are constantly changing. For example, the treatment today is very different from what it was not long ago.
 "Over the next few weeks we plan to increasingly run the programme in schools in the area," says Mzi.
 The Testing and Social Mobilisation Programme sees pop-up facilities set up in communities, factories and schools, for example. Co-ordinators are there to provide health education and counselling and members of the public can get free testing for HIV, diabetes, TB, cervical cancer and high blood pressure.
 Affected people are referred to appropriate healthcare professionals, social workers and counsellors.
 "But prevention and precaution will always be better than cure," says Rev. Lawrence Mabaso, Carryou Ministry, General Manager, "and, in the future, Government may well place even greater emphasis on education and the prevention of these diseases.
 "With an ever-increasing demand for limited social welfare resources, that makes sense."

Books for the kids in Toekies!

 July 4 is US Independence Day, when Americans celebrate their freedom. This year the day was a little more special for the staff of Health and Wellness Partners in New Jersey. (www.hwpnj.com).
 Under the auspices of Judy Handley, they donated US$750 (approx R7 200) that was used to buy books for the kids at the Carryou Drop-in Centre at Toekomsrus.
 170 books, both fiction and non-fiction were bought and delivered to a group of beaming, delighted children.
 "This is a wonderful gift and we are deeply grateful," says Kenneth Malepe, Programme Manager at the Toekomsrus Drop-in Centre. "These books will bring delight and joy to children for many years and will help build and develop their minds."
 When Judy Handley saw the photo of the smiling kids with their new books she said: "This photo is a perfect way to start the Independence Day Holiday! The books were given by HWP and the hope is they will serve to help the children at Carryou build a better life -- one in which independence is the key!"

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