SIBONGILE SITHOLE
A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Humanitarian Hope International Trust has started training nurse aides and empowering women in Siaubuwa, Binga so as to improve their livelihoods.
This comes at a time Binga residents have for years been complaining of underdevelopment in the district.
Humanitarian Hope International Trust regional director Qhubekani Ngwenya said their move came after their survey found out that developmental programmes were lagging in Binga.
“There are no stakeholders who are doing outreach programmes in Binga. Through our contact with the sister in charge in Siabuwa we proposed that there is a need to train more nurses assisting the community,” he said.
“These people are not just nurse aiders but they are also community health workers. After their training they are able to assist in curbing Covid-19, assisting limited staff in the hospital. Instead of having few nurses at hospital the nurse aiders are now able to chip in and assist the nurses and doctors,” said Ngwenya.
Ngwenya said the skills of these nurse aides were critical in a community.
“We also in turn build first aid response centres especially in communities that are far from the hospital. These nurse aides that are trained are very important in the community. We also plead to the community leaders and local authorities to use those nurses in first aid responses,” said Ngwenya.
“They act as the first responders so as to delay worsening the condition or death of a person. So these nurses are able to use their skills in the community thereby improving community integration.”
Ngwenya said apart from training nurse aides they had other programmes to equip Binga residents.
“These numbers of programmes will equip people in Binga. The first intake we had in Siabuwa had more than 50 people which included the young and the old.”
“After we got these people we grouped them. We are coming with a number of projects which include market gardening. Their projects will be controlled by the people in the group. We want to make sure they develop and that they are able to bring food on the table.”
Ngwenya said they are also coordinating with the nearby communities so that these programmes reach them.
He said some of the training includes a nurse assistant course, first aid as well as other programs like detergent making.
“We are speaking to the local authorities so that we can take these projects to all Matabeleland North communities. There is a need to raise alarms and educate people. In the month of November we are going to establish new projects in Binga Siabuwa.”
The organisation was established to provide educational assistance to Zimbabwe to vulnerable groups and other programmes.
