Ladies
of Langa
By
Ray Leduc
In times of an
international health crisis, one small community takes a big stand. In times of
great adversity, leaders are created. I have spent the last several weeks
exploring and attempting to understand the leaders that make up the smallest
township in Cape Town, Langa. Self-empowered and having a driving passion to
change their community, the “Ladies of Langa,” as the have been nicknamed,
strive to educate those infected with HIV/AIDS. Their door-to-door campaign and
HIV support groups have helped to get rid of the stigma throughout Langa.
In
2002, Langa Action Community AIDS Program, LACAP, was formed by six women
personally impacted by HIV. In fact, most of these women were infected
themselves. At the time, there was a very negative stigma surrounding HIV. HIV
was often seen as witch craft and the songomas, or which doctors, only made
this idea worse. The ladies of LACAP took a stand and began with the
empowerment and education of themselves first. When they were fully trained,
they began their volunteer work throughout Langa.
In
order to better understand these women and the work they do, I decided to spend
time with them in their community and hear their stories. To protect their
identities, the women asked to not be named but gave me permission to tell
their stories. These women are truly heroines and their work is astonishing.
As
I arrive at the Langa Taxi rank, the women are already patiently waiting in
their small, shared office space. They are eager to share their story with me
and anyone else that is willing to listen. They start off a bit shy, but soon
warm up to me when I share my limited knowledge of the Xhosa language and
culture with them. We gather around a conference table and the story telling
begins.
The
first to share her story was Unathi. In 1999, Unathi was a part of a voluntary
HIV testing. She really only tested to prove to herself that she was healthy.
When the results came back positive, she was absolutely shocked and immediately
thought she was going to die. Although she and her husband remained faithful to
each other, and her husband was negative, she still picked up the virus. Their
best guess was that the husband’s former girlfriend was positive and he just
happened to be a carrier. Unathi started volunteering with LACAP once she came
to terms with her own infection. She now spends about three days a week sharing
her story and empowering others. She explains, “It is important to share your
story and explain to others that they are not alone in the struggle.” Unathi
has also brought several new ideas to the community. She is a big proponent of
teaching parents , who in turn, teach the kids. It is important to start the
education young with the new generations.
Next
to share her story was Phelisa. 2002 was the beginning of the struggle for
Phelisa as she was infected with an STI from her partner. She began medicine
and the symptoms eventually went away so she stopped with the medicine.
Fast-forward six months and she notices that all her symptoms are coming back.
She went in for testing and this time came back HIV positive. Her initial
reaction was mad. She too thought she was going to die. For the next four
years, she refused to get help and take her medicine. Phelisa soon found
herself pregnant and gave birth to a very healthy boy.
Having a child while being infected with
HIV really opened up the eyes of Phelisa. She was extremely lucky that her
child was HIV negative. She changed her life around and sought help and
answers. She went from feeling bad for herself to empowering others. “People
should feel free and open to share their struggles. People learn from the mistakes
of others.” Phelisa has been sharing her personal story for a few years now.
She firmly believe that if she can help just one person, she has been
successful.
Upon
first meeting Tshepiso, it is obvious that she is shy around new visitors. It
took several days for her to start feeling comfortable and interact with me.
Her story is yet another example of how easily HIV can be spread. In 2006,
Tshepiso was scheduled for a routine Tuberculosis (TB) testing. She went in
feeling healthy and was shocked to find her positive HIV result. Her partner
had been sleeping around behind her back. At first, she only confided in her
mother. She did not want anyone else to know including her own daughter. When
she heard about LACAP in 2007, she began attending support group meetings and
began to feel better about her whole situation. As a LACAP volunteer, Tshepiso
now talks about her struggle and experiences. Her family has been extremely
supportive and understanding since she told them. Tshepiso had a major turning
point in her life a few years ago. “My neighbor knew what I was involved with
and came to me when she found out she too was positive. I was able to help.” It
was satisfying to see her work have a direct, positive impact on someone close
to her.
The final lady to
share her story was Nomgcobo. She started to feel extremely sick in 2009 and
went to the hospital. They tested her for TB and the results came back with a
positive HIV result. She was very worried and afraid of dying. She spent nearly
seven month in the hospital battling for her life. Her family was as supportive
as possible and spent any time they could in the hospital with her. Through her
time there, she learned a lot about her disease from the doctors and
counselors. As soon as Nomgcobo got out of the hospital, she began her
volunteer work with LACAP in the community. She had previous experience
volunteering in Langa, but she now had a personal motivation to make an impact.
She considers herself extremely lucky to be alive. “God has given me a second chance
at life.” Nomgcobo really helps other during the HIV support groups. By sharing
her struggles and triumphs, she is able to strengthen others.
The
women of LACAP run three main campaigns funded mostly by themselves with some
assistance from government agencies. Their first campaign is known as the “Door
to Door” campaign. It is exactly what it sounds like. Every Monday, Tuesday,
and Wednesday, volunteers pick a few households in Langa to focus on. They
preach about safe sex, HIV, and encourage everyone with STI’s to seek help.
This is how the majority of the community hears about LACAP.
The
second campaign LACAP runs is a branch of the “Door to Door” campaign. While
entering several homes, the women noticed many children that were being
neglected, abused, and in unsafe situations. Every Friday afternoon, volunteers
hold a support group for these children. These kids, ranging in age from
infants to 18 years old, are given food and love when they come to the
container. One volunteered mentioned, “Love is the best medicine you can give
someone.” The community is raising these kids with love and the success rate
has been incredible.
The
LACAP organization and the Ladies of Langa are doing incredible work throughout
their community. They saw a pressing issue where they lived and decided to be
the change they wanted to see. They took it upon themselves to make Langa a
healthier and safer place for all. I am grateful to have met these inspiring,
selfless women and join them in their work these past few weeks. They showed
that a little love can go a long way.
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