College of Nursing student nurses ended their community-based education campaign at Rawutini informal settlement on Freedom Day by having a soup kitchen and donating clothes to the families.
Student nurse Zenande Magalela said the campaign included identifying an area for door-to-door visits. She said the campaign had identified people who had defaulted on TB and HIV/Aids treatment. “We want to encourage people to take their treatment and to teach them about the advantages thereof.
“People who might have, for some reason, missed out on our visits or those in areas we have not visited should ensure they visit local clinics. Our message is for people to go to clinics to get help.”
Resident and ward committee member Totomi Noyila said, “They help the sick and take the people’s struggle to government in a way. There was a woman who had been bedridden and could not properly take care of her three-year-old child but through this programme was helped to get an ID.
“They brought food for some families and clothes for others. They know what each family needs. We are grateful for what they have done. They changed people’s lives.”
Communication Workers’ Union provincial chairman Bonke Mfenqe said the union had been roped in to help.
He said the campaign impacted on people who did not take care of their health.
“This shows that health and education go together as they are both societal matters. We can only hope the department of health is taking note of this.
“They really went out of their way to even find sponsors to help them give back. With students like this, the standards of nursing will be uplifted.”
