Molweni (that’s hello in Xhosa!). After a sultry week in Durban, I arrived to much cooler and less humid temperatures in East London, one of many port cities along the Cape coast. Apparently, my timing was perfect because the area had been pounded by heavy rains the week before. When I stepped off the plane, I was enveloped by a turquoise sky, featherlike clouds and temperatures in the mid-70’s. A brief stop by the shore instantly reminded me of Santa Monica, where I was born (except there is no pier). There is a laid back vibe about this beachfront community. A drive through the town was reminiscent of Brentwood (in West Los Angeles) with groves of trees lining the streets, gated homes and upwardly mobile parents arriving in luxury vehicles to pick up their kids from school. But it was only a glimpse of life that would starkly contrast with what I would later see after traversing through rolling hills and farmland on the two hour journey to Queenstown, a quaint colonial-style outpost in the heart of rural Eastern Cape. The province's geography is as rich as its history, which claims Nelson Mandela and other key South African political leaders as its native sons. I was here to visit a program run by Africare, another Washington-based NGO that has established a comprehensive program in the region to assist those living with HIV/AIDS.
Eastern Cape
Molweni (that’s hello in Xhosa!). After a sultry week in Durban, I arrived to much cooler and less humid temperatures in East London, one of many port cities along the Cape coast. Apparently, my timing was perfect because the area had been pounded by heavy rains the week before. When I stepped off the plane, I was enveloped by a turquoise sky, featherlike clouds and temperatures in the mid-70’s. A brief stop by the shore instantly reminded me of Santa Monica, where I was born (except there is no pier). There is a laid back vibe about this beachfront community. A drive through the town was reminiscent of Brentwood (in West Los Angeles) with groves of trees lining the streets, gated homes and upwardly mobile parents arriving in luxury vehicles to pick up their kids from school. But it was only a glimpse of life that would starkly contrast with what I would later see after traversing through rolling hills and farmland on the two hour journey to Queenstown, a quaint colonial-style outpost in the heart of rural Eastern Cape. The province's geography is as rich as its history, which claims Nelson Mandela and other key South African political leaders as its native sons. I was here to visit a program run by Africare, another Washington-based NGO that has established a comprehensive program in the region to assist those living with HIV/AIDS.
INJONGO YETHU...Africare’s motto is that their “work begins where the road ends”. In a nutshell, that explains why they are based in Whittlesea, about a half hour drive southeast of Queenstown. The town center is nothing more than a short block, though it features a brand-new grocery store (!), a sprinkling of shops, and sidewalks packed with women selling produce and men hitching khombi rides (a mini-bus that is the primary method of transport in the area). This bustling strip is encircled by a vast landscape marked by scattered settlements. In fact, it is not uncommon to spot a herd of cattle or goats crossing the road as you make your way around town. Africare’s site is located on the outskirts at Hewu, the main hospital. I was accompanied there by Dr. Ketchi Anah (who could easily rival Mayor Fenty’s blackberry thumb with her ability to multi-task in the midst of juggling calls on dueling cell phones). Originally from Nigeria, Anah now calls Northwest Washington home, where she manages Africare’s HIV/AIDS projects in about a half dozen African countries.
“I really want to contribute to health disparities,” Anah said of Injongo Yethu, a multi-million dollar project which provides a range of community-based services including nutritional support, counseling, HIV/AIDS awareness training and peer-education. “The Eastern Cape province is one of the poorest in the country. When you think about the issue of poverty, in addition to HIV/AIDS, this was one of the provinces with the greatest need.”
That was evident when I met 27-year-old Xolena Dini, an unemployed single mother who was diagnosed with HIV last year. She was among a dozen people that had gathered inside of a small clinic room for an HIV/AIDS support group meeting. It was lunchtime…and the group was discussing how to prepare a healthy soup with ordinary garden vegetables. The recipe consisted of a stewed mix of spinach, potatoes, carrots, green pepper, brinjal (eggplant) and a hint of rosemary. (Of course, I had to try a sample…and it was quite tasty!)
Dini said that maintaining a healthy lifestyle along with a regular ARV regimen has done wonders for her wellbeing. In fact, she even pulled out a medical sheet to prove it, saying that she feels “healthy as a horse!” She showed me that her latest CD4 count had risen from 127 to 528, since she started treatment. (CD4 count measures a persons’ white blood cell count, which are the cells needed to fight off infection. A healthy HIV negative adult usually ranges between 500-1500 cells/mm).
“If you are HIV positive….no one is going to take care of your life,” she said. “Your life is in your hands.”
“I really want to contribute to health disparities,” Anah said of Injongo Yethu, a multi-million dollar project which provides a range of community-based services including nutritional support, counseling, HIV/AIDS awareness training and peer-education. “The Eastern Cape province is one of the poorest in the country. When you think about the issue of poverty, in addition to HIV/AIDS, this was one of the provinces with the greatest need.”
That was evident when I met 27-year-old Xolena Dini, an unemployed single mother who was diagnosed with HIV last year. She was among a dozen people that had gathered inside of a small clinic room for an HIV/AIDS support group meeting. It was lunchtime…and the group was discussing how to prepare a healthy soup with ordinary garden vegetables. The recipe consisted of a stewed mix of spinach, potatoes, carrots, green pepper, brinjal (eggplant) and a hint of rosemary. (Of course, I had to try a sample…and it was quite tasty!)
Dini said that maintaining a healthy lifestyle along with a regular ARV regimen has done wonders for her wellbeing. In fact, she even pulled out a medical sheet to prove it, saying that she feels “healthy as a horse!” She showed me that her latest CD4 count had risen from 127 to 528, since she started treatment. (CD4 count measures a persons’ white blood cell count, which are the cells needed to fight off infection. A healthy HIV negative adult usually ranges between 500-1500 cells/mm).
“If you are HIV positive….no one is going to take care of your life,” she said. “Your life is in your hands.”
IT BEGINS WITH A DREAM...“You have dreams.” That is Pumla Mayise’s explanation for how she became a zangoma, or traditional healer. Mayise’s vision began when she was a young girl. “I had funny dreams,” she said, recalling an episode where she was instructed to find a unique tree branch in a large forest. But it was not until she got married and became a teacher (now preparing for retirement in her 39th year), that she finally realized her calling to become a zangoma.
Mayise is one of 96 traditional healers that Africare has trained over the last two years to assess the needs of HIV positive patents. (Many often seek care from zangomas instead of, or prior to visiting a hospital or clinic.) As I entered her “surgery” (or doctors’ office), she greeted me with a warm welcome while hastily stirring a foaming, white concoction in a metal container. Then she ignited a piece of dried brush. As the smoke ascended, she called out to the ancestors.
“Traditional healers didn’t know anything about health measures,” Mayise said. Referring to a cutting technique that is used by zangomas to administer medicinal treatments she added: “In the old days, they would use one razor blade over ten (patients). But now Africare has said, be careful, AIDS is there and it is killing. So you must use one blade for one patient. And we won’t forget that.”
Atop a high shelf adorned with her cowtail and other zangoma accessories, she has a yellow box full of razors that is marked with the same mandate. It sits alongside a box of condoms, which are also in ample supply. Both are arranged among canisters of ground herbs and other traditional medicines that are clearly labeled .
“The way that I have arranged my surgery is through training,” she explained. “We’re told no more heaps of herbs. Label your medicines so that you don’t confuse anything.”
Traditional healers have also learned how to detect the symptoms of the HIV virus. Many have already developed remedies to treat some of the related ailments, such as diarrhea and thrush. Patients requiring additional medical attention are referred to local clinics for further treatment.
Mayise is one of 96 traditional healers that Africare has trained over the last two years to assess the needs of HIV positive patents. (Many often seek care from zangomas instead of, or prior to visiting a hospital or clinic.) As I entered her “surgery” (or doctors’ office), she greeted me with a warm welcome while hastily stirring a foaming, white concoction in a metal container. Then she ignited a piece of dried brush. As the smoke ascended, she called out to the ancestors.
“Traditional healers didn’t know anything about health measures,” Mayise said. Referring to a cutting technique that is used by zangomas to administer medicinal treatments she added: “In the old days, they would use one razor blade over ten (patients). But now Africare has said, be careful, AIDS is there and it is killing. So you must use one blade for one patient. And we won’t forget that.”
Atop a high shelf adorned with her cowtail and other zangoma accessories, she has a yellow box full of razors that is marked with the same mandate. It sits alongside a box of condoms, which are also in ample supply. Both are arranged among canisters of ground herbs and other traditional medicines that are clearly labeled .
“The way that I have arranged my surgery is through training,” she explained. “We’re told no more heaps of herbs. Label your medicines so that you don’t confuse anything.”
Traditional healers have also learned how to detect the symptoms of the HIV virus. Many have already developed remedies to treat some of the related ailments, such as diarrhea and thrush. Patients requiring additional medical attention are referred to local clinics for further treatment.
“We know we can’t cure AIDS, but we can help,” she said.
As I prepared to leave her surgery, Mayise beckoned to me. She carefully bent down and reached behind a small curtain, where she pulled out a silver tray of shot glasses filled with vodka and brandy. She offered me a shot and a sip of homemade beer. It’s what the ancestors like, she declared. I’ll drink to that!
As I prepared to leave her surgery, Mayise beckoned to me. She carefully bent down and reached behind a small curtain, where she pulled out a silver tray of shot glasses filled with vodka and brandy. She offered me a shot and a sip of homemade beer. It’s what the ancestors like, she declared. I’ll drink to that!
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