Interview with UBA’s Operations Manager
Questions With…
Nonceba, UBA’s Operations Manager
How did you come to work for UBA? Had you done any HIV/AIDS related work prior to your involvement with this organization?
I was a teacher in a primary school. Then, I went to do a course on HIV management at the University of Stellenbosch. I went to do that course because I wanted to know more about HIV and when I saw that this organization was dealing with children, I became very interested- because that’s my passion, to work with children. [When I started] it was still a new organization. I think there were only 16 or 17 kids at that time.
What are some things that you have changed since you came to UBA?
When I arrived there were no programs in place, so I helped to put the programs in place. And then there was a problem of space to run all of the programs. I asked Nonceba, [a woman who runs a counseling center in Khayelitsha] to accompany me to the church where they had free offices, because she’s a well-known person in this area. We were able to get the place. Things then became better and the numbers of children attending became better.
I also introduced home visits, so that we would be able to see the conditions in which [the children] stay. We were able to see which homes needed food parcels, and we’re still doing that.
According to you, what about UBA stands out the most? What do you think makes it especially different from other organizations that also work with HIV/AIDS in Khayelitsha?
This is a very unique organization because there is no other organization that is doing the work that we are doing here at Ubuntu Africa. Nobody was worried about the children; all of the other organizations looked out for adults with HIV. Whitney really did a wonderful thing. We are getting big numbers [of children] now that we are known.
As part of the comprehensive care component at UBA, everybody here seems to have multiple roles combined into one. Can you briefly describe what you do?
I am the operations manager. We plan the programs: monthly, weekly, and actually, yearly, you know. [For example], Silvester is the one who is dealing with the education. So we sit down with Silvester every month [he] submits reports, so if there is anything that is a challenge, we sit down and talk about them and assist him in dealing with those challenges. I oversee even the cooking. I make sure that from the list of the groceries, nutritional foods are bought.
Can you talk a little bit about the programs you oversee—education, health, and social work?
[With education]…the real thing that you educate them about is HIV. We want them to be aware of HIV and to know the causes- how it infects other people, all of those things. We actually want them to also talk freely about HIV with their parents and with their friends. It’s difficult for them to talk because even their parents don’t want to talk about HIV. So now when they meet challenges they will be able to talk on their own.
The nurse is dealing with sicknesses. [For social work,] on Mondays they do ‘Weekend Stories’-that is what I introduced first. Others cannot just talk about stories about their homes and how they feel about them, but they do here. And then with those health issues, [Ntutu] gives them medicines and whatever. They all work hand in hand.
How has UBA affected these kids?
It has changed our children. [Before they] were very shy; they didn’t want to do anything but they have changed a lot. They love this place and they know that they get something from here. They are bold about their status now because at first they didn’t want to talk about it at all.
We have celebrations that we are doing once or twice per year. [This year] we trained them in a play that was about HIV and [there was] this part of them telling their parents: they stood up in front of a full house and they told the parents that ‘yes, we are HIV-[positive], at first I didn’t accept that I was HIV-[positive], I only knew when I came to Ubuntu Africa’…They told their parents “We are HIV-[positive] and I am not scared of dying because I am taking ARV’s and I will live longer.” Of course it’s painful when you listen to them sometimes, but at the end of the day you become happy because you know they will stick to their medication. They know why they are taking thire tablets now and nobody will victimize them about their status. Others would say ‘I know you are positive’ and they will say ‘You don’t even know your own status.’ It’s good to hear these things from the children now.
What has been the biggest success you’ve had here, or something you’ve been the most proud of?
I am proud that the children now are at that stage [where they can talk about their status]. I am very, very proud. And also, our parents, you know when they come here sometimes they cry. They don’t want their children to be told that they are positive at 10 years old. We support each other here. If the social worker feels it is too much for her, we go in and talk with the parent. Especially the social worker, the nurse, and myself, will try and just cool off the parents and then later talk with them. I still remember the last parent who came crying this year, she didn’t want her child to be told that he is HIV positive and so we talked to her here and one day she phoned us and told us “Hey, I have decided to tell my child yesterday and my child was so shocked”…but now, he’s just fine, he’s alright. I see the difference now; even when they feel things, they come to the social worker or nurse and the nurse goes to the clinic and communicates. So, I like it. And the way things are happening now, I like it very much. There is a big difference.
What do you think is the biggest challenge for HIV-positive children in Khayelitsha?
I think they deal with this discrimination, even in schools. For us, it is important to go to different schools to educate the educators about it, because once they know about the children’s status, there is a little bit of discrimination. The teachers must educate their children so that there’s no discrimination at all. We need to educate the teachers, hoping that the teachers will educate the children about HIV. Most of the children are in primary school and they need education. If they can get that education in schools, it won’t be a problem. There’s a lot of discrimination—others come and tell us what others tell them in schools… They don’t want their children to play with the HIV children. So, it’s a challenge, really.
Read more interviews an learn about UBA’s incredible staff!
Questions with..
Skwayi, UBA’s social worker and counselor
Silvester, UBA’s youth educator