Speeches Shim
The U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing an additional US$3.5 million (R59 million) to support the National Department of Health’s (NDoH) oxygen supply, demand, and reticulation strategy and their efforts to procure supplies and equipment needed for critical care beds. The funds will also be used to support emergency preparedness and planning efforts at the provincial level.
I am Ts'epang Maboee, a 21- year- old, born and bred in Mafeteng district, Lesotho. We (my three beautiful sisters and I) were raised by a single mother. Our father passed away when I was only a year and a few months. I didn't get the chance to really know him. At the age of 10, my mother also passed away, and her death left us in misery. My maternal grandmother always persuaded me to go and get tested for HIV after my mother’s death, but I was reluctant because I didn't understand why she was so concerned. On December 12, 2012, I finally decided to get tested for HIV. Well, I must admit, I wasn't nervous because I knew I had not engaged in any sexual activities. I was told while growing up that someone can only get infected with HIV if they had engaged in sexual activities with an infected person.
Fifty Zimbabwean small-holder farmers produced more than 200 MT (200,000 KILOGRAMS) sugar bean seeds to export to Mozambique in September 2020. Through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)’s support, these farmers now know what it takes to produce seed that is compliant with Southern African Development Community's (SADC) regulations, and they have a ready market in Mozambique. Zimbabwe Super Seeds Cooperative Company ( ZSS) Managing Director Nelson Munyaka has celebrated the moment stating, “We will continue to increase the number of ZSS seed varieties under the SADC certification scheme to make trade within the region more seamless.”
1. Why did you want to become a community health worker?
So many people out there are suffering, and lack information and knowledge. As a community health worker, I meet with people one-on-one, I hear about their problems and help solve them. I show people how to stay safe from COVID-19. I deliver HIV and TB medication to people’s houses when they need it, which helps them stay on treatment even during this time of coronavirus.
There is urgency to help local leaders understand the impact of COVID-19 on their communities and take action to minimize exposure, ensure people who are symptomatic know what to do, retain PLHIV in care, and mitigate gender-based violence and stigma.
Breakthrough ACTION/HC4, a PEPFAR-funded project through USAID, leveraged its chiefdom strengthening platform in Eswatini focused on the HIV response to engage chiefdom leadership in addressing COVID-19 .
In the face of a national lockdown, HC4 formed WhatsApp groups to support mentorship and action planning to:
Comment
Make a general inquiry or suggest an improvement.