KAMHLUSHWA – The 16 Days of Activism Against Women and Child Abuse at the local community hall raised caused sparks between mothers and their daughters.
This was during the Zazi – Know your strength HIV/Aids girls campaign which encouraged debate between
girls, aged
12 to 24 years, and their mothers. The campaign, run by Jordimix Marketing, has been rolled out in all three district municipalities in the province. It recruits ambassadors among the girls to educate others against having love affairs with the so-called blessers, old and affluent males who offer material reward to girls in exchange for sex.
Nkomazi is known to have many young girls engaging in this type of behaviour, hence the organisers invited their mothers to attend in an effort to seek solutions to their ongoing problems.
During the robust dialogue, it was revealed that one of the causes of their vulnerability was peer pressure. Teens from needy and child-headed homes are mostly affected. Breadwinners, who are often uncles and stepfathers, sexually abuse girls from a very young age but these incidents are never reported to the police. The municipality also has a high percentage of HIV/Aids infections among young girls and teenage pregnancies are also rife.
On the other hand, mothers were concerned about the increasing number of prostitutes in the area and the opportunism by girls who are involved with blessers. That is why they requested an urgent intervention by social workers to address the situation through these counselling sessions.
Although stories of abusive fathers were raised from both quarters, they eventually found common ground to work together to rid the community of these social ills.
Ms Bongiwe Malupe, national treasurer for Disabled Persons of South Africa (DPSA) said, “I was born fine and I worked as a nurse. I was involved in an accident in 2007. That changed my life for the better. The accident didn’t stop me from working towards my dream.
I do not see myself as paralysed, but I saw – and still see myself – as normal. Black child, it is possible. If I could do it, you can too. You only need to focus and work hard every day,” she said. She further motivated the girls to study hard to be independent in life. “Work hard and buy yourselves everything, do not depend on men, Focus and you will reach your destiny,” she concluded.
