The Corporate Sponsors of SOS Children's Villages include the likes of Old Mutual, Nedbank, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, The Golden Arrow Foundation, CSRI, Pick 'n Pay, DE BEERS MINING, Shell and Safmarine. These are what we call the big boys. These are the people who accept their social responsibility and are willing to walk the talk.
U weet wat die jammerste van alles is, is dat ons finansies nodig het om nog meer kindersorg sentrums te open. En dis waar ons grootste uitdaging lê. Ons moet die steeds sterker vloeiende stroom van weeskinders stuit. Vanjaar word die aantal Vigswesies onder 15 jaar in Suid-Afrika op 400 000 geskat, aanstaande jaar is dit 530 000! In die Wes-Kaap is die prentjie ook donker. Hier by ons is daar volgens opnames, meer as 35 000 weeskinders onder die ouderdom van 15 jaar en byna 7 500 van hulle is MIV/Vigswesies. Aanstaande jaar sal daar 10 500 Vigs weeskinders wees. En dit is die stroom wat ons moet stuit.
And the way to stem the tide is to extend our HIV/AIDS programmes. During the past twelve months we have already set the ball rolling and have embarked on an HIV/AIDS program in communities of Elsies River, Netreg, Bonteheuwel, Phillipi, Crossroads, and Langa. We are caring for communities where mothers are HIV Positive with approximately 85 families already part of the program. But this is not even the tip of the iceberg.
The focus is on caring for these children in their natural environment and preventing them from landing up in a home or orphanage. We provide care in the form of monthly food parcels soup kitchens, school uniforms, and grant applications for the mothers in the program and we will be expanding on our program in the new financial year.
I repeat, we need to stem the tide. It is indeed time for another WINDS OF CHANGE to blow over the Western Cape and indeed over the whole of South Africa. If not, we will have to build new SOS Children's Villages in every single community to care for our NEW BREED OF ORPHANED AND ABANDONED CHILDREN left stranded by our ignorance and lack of care.
But let me be the first to admit that Aids is not just a health problem. It's also a political and an economic problem which needs to be solved by all sectors.
In die Wes-Kaap het ons die uitdaging aanvaar deur ons MIV/VIGS moeder-tot-kind oordragvoorkomingsprogram provinsiewyd uit te brei. Dit is nou ons vlagskip en 'n goeie voorbeeld vir die res van Suid-Afrika en die kontinent. Tans het elke verwagtende moeder toegang tot die voorkomingsprogram by enige provinsiale kraaminrigting. Die program verhoed die MIV/VIGS-infeksie van letterlik duisende kinders en sal mettertyd help om die stroom infeksies te stuit.
The programme has also had wider spin-offs that are as important as its direct effects. It has taken away the secrecy surrounding HIV as some 50 000 women have been tested for HIV in this programme over a 12 month period. Another spin-off of the Prevention of mother-to-child transmission programme is that it has brought together government, NGO's, clinicians and the community in a united front in addressing mother-to-child transmission. The programme has the potential to dramatically reduce HIV transmission from mothers to their babies.
Maar nou het ons nog 'n gedugte nuwe wapen in ons stryd teen MIV/VIGS gekry. Danksy 'n nuwe toetsmetode kan ons nou babas baie vroeër toets as wat voorheen die geval was. In die verlede kon babas slegs vanaf die ouderdom van 18 maande doeltreffend vir MIV/VIGS getoets word. Nou kan dit danksy die nuwe metode reeds binne die eerste ses weke gedoen word. Die probleem is net dat dit baie duur is en miskien sal daar weer na borge gekyk moet word. Ons het reeds in Khayelitsha hiermee begin en ons sal probeer om hierdie program ook provinsiewyd uit te brei.
Laat daar geen twyfel bestaan dat die Wes-Kaapse Gesondheidsdepartement hom totaal verbind het tot die stryd teen MIV/VIGS nie en dat ons, ons verbind het om die wind van verandering te wees om die dreigende HIV/VIGS-epidemie en die groeiende aantal weeskinders te stuit.
Dis ons doelwit om 'n wêreld te skep wat geskik is vir kinders. Dit is nie net ons plig nie, dit is ons behoefte!
Thank you that you as sponsors are helping us reach our goal of creating a world fit for children. But our thanks goes much further than just our sponsors. We also thank all those selfless people who work day after day, often unrewarded, to help make this a better world. We are indebted to you all. We, and the children, thank you.
Enquiries Chris Koole: 082 774 3462.
