Go 17 June 2021

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New initiative to improve
early childhood literacy
MATTHEW FIELD
Anew initiative, recently
launched in East London,
Komani and Tsholomqa,
is looking to tackle the ongoing
lack of childhood literacy in the
area.
Yizani Sifunde ('Come let's
read') is funded by the Liberty
Community Trust in partnership
Reading and sharing stories with young children is vital
with three South African NGOS,
namely Nal'ibali, Book Dash
and Wordworks.
According to Nalibali CEO
Yandiswa Xhakaza, it is easier
for children to develop reading
skills when they engage with
stories in their mother tongue.
“Every one of us is a
storyteller in some form or
another, and reading and
storytelling could well turn out
to be South Africa’s secret
w e a p o n ,” Xhakaza said.
“Reading and sharing stories
with young children is vital in
laying the language foundations
they will need to learn to read
and write later on. It can also
help with cognitive and
emotional development.
“But the best of all, is
taking time out to read and
share stories with our children
simply feels good.”
The project will supply
100,000 storybooks written in
isiXhosa into local communities
as well as set up literacy-themed
learning programmes for both
children and caregivers.
Additional training will also
be provided to community
members to help them establish
extra-mural reading clubs.
“Ultimately, it aims to
significantly change the life
trajectory of the young children
it supports and remind parents,
educators, and community
members of their powerful and
authentic teaching roles,”
Xhakaza said.
Youth Day event
on importance
of prophylaxis in
preventing HIV
SIPHOSIHLE DYONASE
The Foundation for Professional
Development, together with
Desmond Tutu Health
Foundation and various
stakeholders, hosted a youth
empowerment session in
commemoration of Youth Day
at Scenery Park Community Hall
on Friday last week.
The aim of the event was to
educate young people around
the theme “Impilo yam,
luxanduva lwam; My health, my
r e s p o n s i b i l i t y.”
“The My Health, My
Responsibility awareness
campaign is a Youth Day
initiative to educate and
mobilize the Scenery Park and
Ndevana communities around
health-seeking behaviours,”
Ernesha Webb Mazinyo, who is
the head of department for
district health services at
Foundation for Professional
Development (FPD), said.
“Originally based on
outreach programmes aimed at
making PrEP (pre-exposure
prophylaxis) available to young
women to prevent them from
contracting HIV, the CABs
(Community Advisory Boards)
are hosting these events to
inform the communities about
health and social development
programs that are available to
support all people to make good
decisions about their health and
l i f e s t y l e .”
Mazinyo added that the
more people learn about PrEP
and how to use it, the better.
“The overall goal of our
community awareness
initiatives is to increase the
community’s knowledge of the
available programmes and
services offered.
“We are excited for the
youth to spread the awareness
to their peers and develop as
community leaders who can
become change agents for
health services in their
c o m m u n i t i e s ,” she said
Three young participants
from the Community Advisory
Board, known as PrEP
Champions, presented their
journey and experience with
taking PrEP.
STAYING SAFE: From left, PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) champions Millisa Mfana, Nwabisa
Mfana and Busisiwe Ntwenkulu Picture: SIPHOSIHLE DYONASE
One of the champions,
Millisa Mfana spoke about the
challenges they encountered
from taking the PrEP pill.
“Initially the older
generation asked questions such
as ‘how come is there a
preventative pill for the virus but
there is no cure for it’.
“Some were saying negative
remarks like the pill will
damage the female internal
reproductive organs,” she said.
Mfana encouraged her
fellow peers to overcome the
none supporting beliefs from
society and do what is right for
t h e m s e l ve s .
Community Advisory Board
chairperson Neliswa
Mandla said the importance of
the event was to teach and show
young people on ways of taking
PrEP and who is eligible of using
the pill.
“Because they [young
people] have influence on each
other, some say it’s a way of
preventing STDs. So as
members of the community and
stakeholders came out to
support, we gave them
refreshments and caps.”
Wa rd
councillor’s
home razed
SIPHOSIHLE DYONASE
BCM ward 8 councillor Ayanda
Mapisa’s home in Duncan
Village was burnt to the
ground on Saturday morning
after allegedly being set alight
by unknown suspects.
Ward 8 covers the areas of
Fynbos, Gompo and parts of
Duncan Village.
“BCM is calling upon the
police to act swiftly in bringing
to book those behind the
torching of the home of its
c o u n c i l l o r,” said spokesperson
Samkelo Ngwenya.
Ngwenya said acts of crime
never be tolerated “under any
c i rc u m s t a n c e s ”.
“No amount of disagreement
should lead to crimes that
jeopardise the lives of our
public representatives and their
families. This act undermines
the gains of our freedom and we
call upon anyone with
information to assist the police.”
According to Ngwenya, the
Buffalo City Metro troika, which
includes the executive mayor,
deputy executive mayor,
council speaker and chief whip,
is in contact with Mapisa to
ensure that she gets all the
necessary support in this time of
need.
“Security assessment by state
agencies and investigations on
the cause and damages are
u n d e r way,” he said.