Meet the 2022 Healthcare Provider Champions - South Africa

Mokete Sedutla, nominator

Why did you nominate your healthcare provider?

I nominated Kgothatso because I believe she is the best at what she does. She is passionate about her work and has never judged me or given up on me. Kgothatso makes me feel welcome and important because I deserve to be treated with as much respect as everyone else. She has played a huge role in my life and makes sure that I follow my dreams. I am grateful to have met her and I am proud to say that now I am on the Central Chronic Medicines Dispensing and Distribution programme and take ARVs thanks to her.

Kgothatso has created a safe space in our community. In the youth-friendly zone in the clinic, she provides friendly games like Sekgapa (a traditional dance in Bolobedu), netball and Scrabble after school hours. Our parents feel at ease knowing that their children can get help with their homework, learn computer skills, access study materials, and get help to register at institutions and attend health talks. This ensures that we are empowered with knowledge, make well-informed life decisions and become the best leaders of tomorrow. Kgothatso guides me through my life challenges, and I am glad to have met her at such a young age.

I am at a place where I am not afraid to go to the clinic when I need clarity on something or when I need a particular service because she is always there to help me. She is so easy to talk to and I believe that this is why most of the adolescents, like myself, are no longer afraid to go to the clinic. She is a blessing to the young people of Matswi, but most importantly, she has a very welcoming smile.

Kgothatso Ramodipa, peer educator

I am “doing the right thing” because…

Adolescents are at a vulnerable age, and the way you treat them may affect them. A youth-friendly service environment can improve access to and use of services. It requires that I, as a peer educator, nurses and other healthcare workers demonstrate positive attitudes and engage in behaviours that are supportive, caring and inviting. This may help reduce the high rates of teenage pregnancies and unsafe abortions among adolescents in South Africa.

What was the turning point?

As a teenager, I found it difficult to go to health facilities because we were always judged for using contraception at a young age and would be called names before we were even assisted. This made us sceptical whenever we thought of health facilities and the way adolescents living with HIV were treated and stigmatized. We stopped going there altogether, and that increased the rate of teenage pregnancies in our schools. This made me want to make a difference in the lives of adolescents living with HIV. I wanted to make a change, so I create a safe space for them, and that became my passion.

Lerato Nkwanyana, nominator

Why did you nominate your healthcare provider?

I nominated Nonhlanhla Mazaleni because my life has changed since I met her. She is passionate about helping young people living with HIV and is a founder and director of Tholulwazi Phakathi, a non-profit organization providing psychosocial support to adolescents and young adults born and living with HIV. It also has programmes for HIV-negative adolescents to help them to stay negative by educating them about PEP and PrEP, condom provision, substance abuse and prevention of teenage pregnancy.

Before I met her, I did not understand what was wrong with me. I was angry and I could not understand why. I had no support and I did not know how to live positively with HIV. Ms Mazaleni helped me cope with living with HIV and I am glad I met her. I am now a peer educator; I educate my peers on how to live positively with HIV and on the 95-95-95 targets. When I am at Tholulwazi Phakathi, I feel at home. We support each other, and taking ARVs with peers helped me a lot. I was sleeping around, I did not want to die alone, and I wanted my peers to have what I had. Thanks to the support groups, ARV adherence camp and peer-to-peer support, I am now healthy and virally suppressed. Living with HIV is hard and even worse when you are a child. I am writing a book about my life and advocating for children and young people living with HIV.

Nonhlanhla Mazaleni, community health worker

I am “doing the right thing” because…

I want adolescents and young adults to live positively with HIV. I want them to know that taking ARVs every day prolongs life. It helps suppress the virus and when the virus is suppressed, it cannot be passed on: undetectable = untransmittable (U=U). I want to help stop new HIV transmissions among young people.

What was the turning point?

I am also doing this because I am raising an adolescent living with HIV. Our community members, family and classmates have discriminated against us, and it was not easy to adhere to ARVs.

Maditaba Patience Pau, nominator

Why did you nominate your healthcare provider?

Rebecca Phasha is patient, humble and a good communicator. She explains PrEP, respects clients’ rights, and clients are her number one priority. She knows how to counsel a person and adjust to their level of understanding. The treatment is very good and privacy is maintained at all times to make sure that I am comfortable. She never forgets her clients, no matter how many they are. She is the best and I want to be like her since I am studying nursing.

Rebecca Phasha, nurse

I am “doing the right thing” because…

There is nothing more satisfying than knowing you have done your best for your clients. As a healthcare provider, I have taken an oath to serve my community and render quality health services. Providing the right services to adolescents, young people and key populations is very important because it ensures that they return to the clinic. I personally strive for efficient and effective service delivery because I want my clients to be fulfilled and spread a positive message by word of mouth.

What was the turning point?

I want to suppress stigma, particularly the mean and harsh judgement that people living with or affected by HIV face on a daily basis by equipping them with knowledge and understanding and being their support system. Regarding long waiting hours in clinic queues, I have provided change by creating fast queues for adolescents and key populations and safe non-judgemental spaces.

With the team I work with under the PReP programme, all adolescents are able to get the quality and accessible health services they need. Since I started my nursing career in 2020, I have worked in the HIV and AIDS department (HAST), and I have learnt how difficult it is for people living with HIV to accept and love themselves and to be loved by family and society. I always try to be their listening ear, support and empower them, and most importantly, for them to leave my consulting room with a smile on their face.