The PALS programme assures that support is available to adolescents in secondary schools even when the Mpilonhle Mobile units are not there.  The mobile units, which visits schools for a week at a time every four to eight weeks, provide an integrated programme of health services and health education, including primary health care and reproductive health services, and voluntary HIV testing.  Mpilonhle staff then provide back-up to resource educators in the schools when the units are not on site.

This was the second training session for resource educators.  Resource educators are available to learners with concerns about physical, mental health or social problems, and work with peer counselors in the schools to provide this support.

The training focused on  how to identify and intervene with vulnerable learners, including supporting pregnant learners and helping them realize they have choices.  The material included mentoring and counseling skills, sexual and reproductive rights, substance abuse, poor health, family concerns, mental health, behavior problems, interpersonal violence and pregnancy.

The workshop highlighted the challenges young women face in the school environment when they are pregnant, and the role that teachers can have in supporting both pregnant learners and the reproductive health rights of adolescents. Discussions addressed the confusion school staff has expressed about dealing with pregnant learners, strategies for identifying pregnant learners, how to encourage pregnant learners to seek care, and how to support them to stay in school. The workshop trained the mentors to discuss and plan options with a pregnant adolescent in a non-judgmental manner and support her in the decision she makes, including termination. The workshops sessions stressed the availability of the Mpilonhle nurses and social workers to provide care to pregnant learners as needed. Participants received handouts at the end of the workshop that they could use as reference material when returning to the schools.

In addition to Mpilonhle staff, visiting experts participating in the training were Dr. Kathleen Braden, Professor of Pediatrics and Human Development from the University of Massachusetts in the United States, and Dr. Makgoale Magwentshu and Ms Buyile Buthelezi from IPAS, one of the organizations helping to fund the programme.  Other funding for the programme is provided by Apexhi and the Discovery Foundation.

Dr. Makgoale Magwentshu from IPAS leading a discussion.

Ms Thuli Biyela, Mpilonhle Nurse, and Ms Thapelo Ntombela, Mpilonhle Social Worker, along with Dr. Kathleen Braden from the University of Massachusetts, following the discussion. In the foreground is Ms Ntshangase, one of the resource educators of Madwaleni High School.

Training for Resource Educators

Mpilonhle Executive Director, dressed for the late summer heat, speaking to the group

Ms Buyile Buthelezi of IPAS leading a training session

A topical subject - the projected headline of the day's paper served as the basis for discussion

Mpilonhle’s mobile units visit participating schools four to eight times per year for a week at a time.  The PALS programme aims to provide continuing support to each of these schools by training resource educators and peer counselors in the schools who then have the backup of Mpilonhle’s nurses and social workers and psychologists.    Peer counselors work with the resource educators in supporting other learners, including those who are pregnant, at greatest risk of pregnancy, or who have been victims of abuse.

The workshop, led by Mpilonhle social workers Thapelo Ntombelo and Babalwa Makalima,  covered mentoring skills as well as discussing gender issues and sexual and reproductive health and rights. These sessions involved discussions of the important role of learners in the support of their
peers, and how this is different and compatible with the role of the educators. Discussions highlighted the challenges adolescents face in the rural Umkhanyakude District, including sexual and physical violence, substance abuse, and mental health issues. The sessions stressed the importance of offering choices and considering consequences when facing their own challenges and counseling others. The sessions inspired intense discussions about
adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights. Peer counselors received handouts that will serve as guidance documents when they return to schools.

The PALS programme is funded by Ipas, Discovery Foundation, and Apexhi.

Mpilonhle social worker Thapelo Ntombela leading a discussion

Considering a point during discussion

Making points on the flip chart

Mpilonhle Director Dr. Michael Bennish leading a discussion

Recieving attendance certificate

Members of the Mpilonhle Training Team. Left to right they are Mpi Cebekhulu, Thokozani Hlophe, Babalwa Makalima, Thapelo Ntombelo, and US Peace Corps Volunteer Sara Coleman

This was the fourth visit of the OneSight team to Mpilonhle and to the Umkhanyakude District.  Clinics were held at four different sites for two days each.  Sites included very rural locations, where access is difficult but where the need is great, and also in urban Mtubatuba where access is easier.

The 40 member OneSight team came from eight countries – Australia, New Zealand, Italy, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Poland and the United States.  They included optometrists as well as all the technical staff required to make prescription glasses on the sport for those who need them.  They were assisted by 60 Mpilonhle staff, 15 staff from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health crucially including optometrists and nurses, more than 30 community volunteers, and 24 volunteers from the United States Peace Corps.

Unlike the three previous visits,  where clinics were held in schools, the clinics this time were located in community halls.  The usual challenges – uncertain access to electricity and water, lack of hygienic toilets – where present this time as well.  The clinic that we thought would be most certain to have water – that in Mtubatuba – had its water shut down then a leak in the municipal system required repair and a two-day shut down of the water supply on the same days that our clinic operated.

But if there is a will there is a way, and we were able to provide care to 6,392 persons.  382 persons received bifocal glasses, 172 persons received glasses for distance vision, 1241 reading glasses, and  4127  sunglasses.  473 patients were referred for follow-up to Department of Health Clinics, primarily for glaucoma and cataracts.

Although it it is intense eight days when OneSight visits, it is a very productive one, and an event that is much appreciated by the community as it provides vision screening and glasses to many persons who would otherwise not get these services.  The appreciate can be seen in the smiles of those who can now see clearly when they couldn’t before.

Clients waiting to be seen

Checking reading glasses for fit

Inside the community hall

Initial orientation for all staff on the project

Mpilonhle staff member Thokozani Hlophe helping guide the truck carrying the shipping container with shoes to help ensure it does not take a tree down

One-hundred thousand pair of TOMS shoes arrived in three shipments on the 3rd to the 5th of April 2012. The shoes were donated as part of TOMS One for One Program – in which for every pair of shoes purchased, one pair is donated to a child in a developing country.

Mpilonhle Administrator Marie-Christine Ryckaertbecame expert as an import agent, having to deal with all of the complexities of clearing the 100,000 pairs of shoe through Durban Harbor – the busiest in Africa, and not always the most efficient.

Mpilonhle Administrator Marie-Christine Ryckaert talking to delivery staff (the man with the pole is holding up a telephone line)

The big job was then unloading all of the shoes into safe storage.  Mpilonhle staff, along with students from schools that Mpilonhle works with, pitched in to unload the containers.

Container filled with shoes

Unloading from the container

Using a wheelbarrow and the traditional (especially for women) African method of carrying things on your head

Tractor to the rescue

The big challenge was putting them in an order that would allow easy access when the time comes to go out to schools and provide shoes to students.  There were at least four different categories of shoes – adult male and female, children’s with male and female – all with a variety of similarly numbered sizes.  Thus assuring that they were properly ordered was essential.

Stacking the shoes by category and size

Moving shoes to correct location

The team taking a break

It’s always hard to believe how time flies,especially as the year draws to a close. This year has certainly been full of a lot of agricultural adventures, and it’s not over yet! Last month, from 3-5 October, I had the pleasure of working with Mpilonhle’s Home-Based Carers and facilitating a garden training on an introduction to permaculture and organic gardening methods. In putting together the curriculum for the training, I used a mix of information that I had obtained from trainings with both the Peace Corps and the locally-based African Conservation Trust office and Manukelana Art and Nursery in Khula Village, who hosted our last training with the Field Assistants in May. The training took place over the course of three days up at La Colline, the Mpilonhle guest house, and consisted of one day of theory training and presentations and two days of practical work/study. The first day, we covered a wide range of topics, from planting bed construction and the benefits of compost to strategies for water conservation and companion planting and the importance of bees! During the second two days, we filled and planted two trench beds, dug, filled and planted two pit beds, made a gorgeous compost pile and practiced digging some holes and swales for water retention.

Everyone lends a helping hand to fill the bed

Mpilonhle Social Worker Andile Zulu deftly wields the watering can

Time to plant!

Carer Veronica Dube helps prep the ground for a compost pile

The enthusiasm and brilliant spirit of these amazing women was infectious, and their openness, wonderfully encouraging. With equal amounts of laughter and learning, it was a great three days, and I am very excited to continue to work with the carers as they take their new knowledge back to their communities and help their clients develop home and community gardens to fight poverty and hunger.

It's a good life!

Mpilonhle visit first time at Ntandabantu Primary School

After a first lessons introduction I noticed that learners were ready to start with exercise one.

Let the lesson begin

As a witness it was a lifetime experience and a great achievement in community development in terms of skills development, one week training 2x hours per day 4x lessons equals computer literacy.

Full computer lab with 72x computers

Services During Eye Clinic include

Free eye screening. Same-day provision of free prescription glasses on site for those who require them.

Follow-up care from the Department of Health for those who are identified as having cataracts or eye problems. HIV counseling and and testing. Medical check ups and medication

Location of Eye Clinics and Dates

Tuesday | October 18, 2011 | 1:00 PM – 4:00PM | Nomaganga Primary School

Wednesday | October 19, 2011 | 9:00 – 3:00 PM | Nomaganga Primary School

Thursday | October 20, 2011 | 9:00 – 3:00 PM | Nomaganga Primary School

Friday | October 21, 2011 | 9:00 – 3:00 PM | Nyalazi Primary School

Monday| October 24, 2011 | 9:00 – 3:00 PM | Nyalazi Primary School

Tuesday | October 25, 2011 | 9:00 – 3:00 PM | Indukebandla Primary School

Wednesday | October 26, 2011 | 9:00 – 3:00 PM | Indukebandla Primary School

Thursday | October 27, 2011 | 9:00 – 3:00 PM | Indukebandla Primary School