Awareness rose through fun walk

Awareness rose through fun walk

 by BRIAN KAJENGO

The Discovery Health sports heroes walk against HIV&AIDS (SHWAA) entered its 3^rd day with the 5 km walk from Msukaligwa municipal offices to Mpumalanga stadium in Wesselton in Ermelo. Mr Sibusiso Sodo, a sport hero known for his famous skipping tactics was part of the walk that saw participation of Msukaligwa executive mayor Mr Sipho Bongwa and local councillors. The main aim of the walk is to raise awareness about the disease and to destigmatize HIV &AIDS. Today’s walk also saw the elderly people joining in reaching the finishing line with enthusiasm.  

The finishing line was at the Mpumalanga Stadium in Wesselton, where participants welcomed and awarded with medals for their perseverance and commitment by the sports heroes. “You should abstain, behave and condomise,” said Ms Natasha Dos Santos the current Miss Mpumalanga as she welcomed the participants who finished the walk.

 Furthermore participants were encouraged to test for HIV&AIDS in the Right to Care Mobile Clinics and further awarded with a special medal for agreeing to test. At the stadium people offered public health services like screening for diabetes, high blood pressure and health advice on cervical cancer.  Other stakeholders who participated on the day were Eskom, Gambling Board and Love Life.

Seeing the plight and challenge faced by rural girls during their menstrual period, the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature donated sanitary towels to the representatives of the following schools: Lindile High School, Kwadela High School, Umzimvelo High School, Masizakhe High School and Lake Chrissie High School. These done to ensure school girls do not miss school due to lack of sanitary towels.

 The Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation donated soccer kits, netball and volley ball kits. Other recipients of sporting gears included Flamingos, Ubuntu Boxing, Ermelo Boxing and Ermelo Tennis. The sports heroes were able to interact with the community through couching clinics.

To put a cherry on top, the Speaker of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature, through her legacy projects donated an amount of R100 000 to Phumelela After Care-a Centre dealing with people who are infected and affected by the scourge of the virus in Wesselton, Ermelo.