Ukubuka Okwezwe

Imishado Iyancipha

ECanada, imishado iyinhlangano encipha ngokushesha. Ngokombiko we-Statistics Canada, eminyakeni engu-15 edlule, “inani labantu baseCanada ababehlalisene nje licishe laphindeka kathathu lisuka ku-700 000 liya ezigidini ezimbili—inani lokwanda laminyaka yonke eliliphinda kasithupha elabashadayo,” kusho i-Toronto Star. “Ngaphezu kwalokho, ingxenye yemibhangqwana yababeqala ukuhlala ndawonye eCanada ayishadile ngokomthetho futhi inani liyakhuphuka liba emine kwemihlanu eQuebec.” Kungani kunalolu shintsho? Imibhangqwana engashadile ngokomthetho “ibonakala iyingxenye yoshintsho lwezenhlalo, okunye kokulahlwa kwezinto eziningi ezazisekelwe ekuhlelekeni komphakathi okuya kuba yisidala,” kusho lombiko. Isihloko saleli phephandaba sathi “ukuhlalisana ndawonye kwake kwabhekwa njengomshado wokulinga, kodwa manje sekubonakala kuyinto ongayenza ngokuqiniseka.”

“EsikaMose”

Ososayensi ababili baseJapane baphumelele ukuhlukanisa amanzi endaweni abacwaningela kuyo, kubika i-New Scientist. UMasakazu Iwasaka noShogo Ueno base-University of Tokyo basebenzisa izinsimbi zikagesi ukuze bakhe indawo enozibuthe onamandla imboze into esambhobho ethi ayigcwale amanzi. Lendawo enozibuthe onamandla ngokuphindwe izikhathi ezingaba ngu-500 000 kunowomhlaba, yenza amanzi aya ezinhlangothini zalombhobho, kwasala indawo eyomile maphakathi. Ososayensi eYurophu nase-United States baye basiphinda lesi simanga esaqala ukubonwa ososayensi ngo-1994. Senzeka kanjani? Ngokusho kukaKoichi Kitazawa, osebenza e-University of Tokyo, amanzi “awakuthandisisi ukuba sendaweni enozibuthe. Ngakho uzibuthe onamandla uyawabalekisa amanzi, uwasuse ezindaweni ezinozibuthe onamandla aye lapho ungenamandla khona.” UKitazawa uthi lesi simanga “EsikaMose.”

Izivakashi Ezinemikhuba Emibi

Ifa elicebile lamasiko lase-Italy liyenza ithandeke kakhulu kubantu abavakashayo. Ngeshwa, abantu abasuke beseholideni lapho bavame ukungakunaki ukubonisa imikhuba emihle. NgokukaMario Lolli Ghetti, umphathi waseFlorence wendawo ezungezile nezakhiwo, “abaningi bazizwa benegunya lokwenza izinto abangenakulokotha bazenze ekhaya.” Ngakho, idolobha laseFlorence lenze “uMthetho-sisekelo Wamalungelo Nezibopho Zezivakashi,” okhumbuza izivakashi lokho okufanele nokungafanele zikwenze, kubika i-Repubblica. Nazi ezinye izikhumbuzo: Ungagezi noma ufake izinyawo zakho kulamanzi; ungenzi ipikiniki phambi kwezakhiwo eziyisikhumbuzo namamnyuziyamu; ungawalahli phansi amathini noma ushingamu; ungagqoki izikibha ezingenamkhono uma uvakashela amamnyuziyamu; ungathameli ilanga ugqoke okokubhukuda ezingadini nasezindaweni zomlando. Yebo, izivakashi ezinemikhuba emihle zisaziswa futhi zamukelekile.

Indida Ngokuncelisa

“Sekungamashumi amabili eminyaka odokotela nezisebenzi zomphakathi zezempilo zinikeza iseluleko esifanayo komama abasanda kubeletha emazweni ampofu: Ncelisani abantwana benu ibele ukuze nivikele impilo yabo,” kusho i-New York Times. “Kodwa manje, umqedazwe wengculaza uyasilulaza leso seluleko. Ukuhlola kubonisa ukuthi omama abanegciwane lengculaza bangalidlulisa ngobisi lwebele ngezinga elikhulu. . . . IZizwe Ezihlangene zisanda kulinganisela ukuthi ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu kuzo zonke izinsana ezine-H.I.V. yathola leli gciwane obisini lonina.” Kungase kusetshenziswe ubisi lokuzenzela, kodwa nalo lunezinkinga zalo. Emazweni amaningi omama abanamali yokuthenga lolu bisi noma abanazo izindlela zokususa amagciwane emabhodleleni futhi abakwazi ukuthola amanzi ahlanzekile. Ngenxa yalokho, abantwana baphathwa isifo sohudo futhi baphelelwe amanzi emzimbeni, baguliswe nayezinye izifo eziphathelene nokuphefumula, isisu namathumbu. Imikhaya empofu ifaka amanzi amaningi kulo, umphumela kube ukungondleki kwabantwana. Izikhulu zempilo manje zilwela ukulinganisela kulendaba. Emhlabeni wonke kunemibiko emisha engaphezu kwenkulungwane yezinsana nezingane ezingenwa i-HIV usuku nosuku.

Izinga Lomhlaba Lenhlanzeko Liyehla

“Cishe abantu abayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezintathu, abangaphezu kwengxenye yabantu bonke emhlabeni, abanayo ngisho neyokubika indlu yangasese,” kubika i-New York Times. Lemibiko, eyingxenye yokuhlola kwaminyaka yonke kwe-Progress of Nations okwenziwa i-UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), kwembula nokuthi “izinga lenhlanzeko liyehla, alibi ngcono.” Ngokwesibonelo, amanye amazwe aye athuthuka ekunikezeni abampofu amanzi ahlanzekile, ayehluleka uma sekuziwa ekukhucululeni indle. Lombiko uthi lokhu kuntuleka kwezinto zempilo eziyisisekelo kunesandla esikhulu ekusakazekeni kwezifo ezintsha eziwumshayabhuqe nasekubuyeni kwezindala. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi izingane ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezimbili ziyafa unyaka nonyaka zibulawa izifo ezihlobene nokungahlanzeki. U-Akhtar Hameed Khan, umlobi walo mbiko, uthi: “Uma izinga lenhlanzeko lingathuthuki, izinga lezifo nalo lizongathuthuki.”

Ikhaya Libaluleke Kunako Konke

Ingabe indawo yokunakekela izingane—ukugadwa kwezingane ngesikhathi abazali besemsebenzini—izilungele izingane? Yilokho ukuhlola kwase-United States okwenziwa i-National Institute of Child Health and Human Development okwakufuna ukukuthola. Abacwaningi abavelele bokunakekelwa kwezingane emayunivesithi angu-14 balandelela izingane ezingu-1364 kusukela zizalwa zaze zaba neminyaka emithathu. Izingane ezingamaphesenti angaphezu kuka-20 zazinakekelwa onina emakhaya; ezinye zathunyelwa ezikhungweni zokunakekela izingane noma emakhaya abazanyana abaholelwayo. Umphumela waba yini? “Laba bacwaningi bathola ukuthi izingane ezazisesikhungweni sokunakekelwa esisezingeni eliphezulu—lapho abantu abadala bexoxa nazo njalo ngendlela eyakhayo—ziyazuza ngokuqondene nolimi namakhono okufunda kunezingane ezaziba lapho zinganakwa khona,” kusho umagazini i-Time. “Kodwa isiphetho esibalulekile sasiwukuthi inkulisa yayingenathonya elitheni ekukhuleni kwazo ngokwengqondo nangokomzwelo kunethonya lemikhaya yazo. . . . Abacwaningi balinganisela ukuthi iphesenti elilodwa nje vó lomehluko ezinganeni libangelwa izici ezithile zenkulisa kanti amaphesenti angu-32 abangelwa okuhlangenwe nakho okungefani ezikuthola emikhayeni yazo. Uthini umyalezo? Ikhaya liyisikhungo semfundo okuyisona sona.”

Ubungane Obungavamile

Sekuyisikhathi eside ososayensi bemangazwa ubuhlobo bezintuthwane nezihlahla zomtholo zase-Afrika. Lezi zihlahla zinikeza izintuthwane ukudla nendawo yokukhosela. Kanti izintuthwane zona zihlasela izinambuzane ezilimaza lezi zihlahla futhi zintinyele izilwane ezinqampuna amaqabunga. Kubonala sengathi lezi zihlahla zithembele kulokhu kuvikelwa ukuze zisinde. Kodwa izihlahla zidinga izinambuzane ezindizayo ukuze zilethele izimbali zazo impova. Uma kunjalo-ke, izinambuzane eziletha impova zilithola kanjani ithuba lokwenza umsebenzi wazo? Ngokwephephabhuku lesayensi i-Nature, lapho izihlahla “sezikulungele ngempela ukulethelwa impova,” zikhipha ikhemikhali okubonakala ixosha izintuthwane. Lokhu kwenza izinambuzane zikwazi ukuvakashela izimbali “ngalesi sikhathi esibucayi.” Kuyothi ngemva kokuba izimbali zithole impova, izintuthwane zibuyele emsebenzini wazo wokuqapha.

Kutholakale IBhayibheli LikaGutenberg

Ingxenye ethile yeBhayibheli elanyatheliswa ngekhulu le-15 nguJohannes Gutenberg itholakale endaweni yokugcina izinto yesonto eliseRendsburg, eJalimane. Ngemva kokuba lengxenye yeBhayibheli enamakhasi angu-150 itholakele ekuqaleni kuka-1996, yahlolisiswa ngaphambi kokuba kuthiwe ekaGutenberg ngempela, kubika i-Wiesbadener Kurier. Emhlabeni wonke, kuthiwa kunamaBhayibheli kaGutenberg angu-48, angu-20 awo aphelele. “AmaBhayibheli adumile ayimiqulu emibili anyatheliswa uJohannes Gutenberg abhekwa njengawumkhiqizo wokuqala obalulekile ekunyathelisweni kwezincwadi,” kusho leli phephandaba. Le ngxenye esanda kutholwa “iseneketanga layo lasekuqaleni, okwakuboshelwa ngalo iBhayibheli epulupiti ukuze lingantshontshwa.”

Ukuphila Isikhathi Esijana

Yini edingekayo ukuze uhlale ungumqemane futhi uphile isikhathi esijana? “Ubuntu obuthanda ukuhlala busesimweni esisodwa esingenakho ukucindezeleka kwengqondo kuthuthukisa impilo engokomzimba ngaphezu kokuvivinya umzimba noma imikhuba yokudla,” kusho uDkt. George Vaillant waseBrigham and Women’s Hospital, eBoston. Umbono kaVaillant usekelwe ekuhlolweni okuqhubekayo kwamadoda angaphezu kuka-230 ayebuthwe okokuqala ngo-1942. Lapho eseneminyaka engu-52, amadoda ayeyimiqemane ahlukaniswa izigaba ezintathu: lawo abhekwa “njengacindezelekile” (ayesebenzise kabi utshwala, esebenzisa izidakamizwa njalo, noma aya kudokotela wengqondo), “angacindezelekile” (ayengakaze abusebenzise kabi utshwala, engakaze adle izidakamizwa ezishintsha isimo sobuntu, noma aya kudokotela wengqondo), “naphakathi nendawo” (ayephakathi kwalamaqembu amabili asebaliwe). Lapho sebeneminyaka engu-75 ubudala, “abantu abangamaphesenti angu-5 kuphela [abangacindezelekile] ababeshonile, uma kuqhathaniswa nabangamaphesenti angu-25 besigaba esiphakathi nendawo, nangu-38 amadoda ayecindezelekile,” kubika i-Science News. Ngokuqinisekile, ukudla ukudla okunempilo nokuvivinya umzimba njalo kuyasiza ekuthuthukiseni impilo enhle. Kodwa “ukuphila isikhathi eside kubonakala kuxhomeke ekuzinzeni ngokomzwelo okwenza ingabibiko iminjunju yokucindezeleka, okungenani emadodeni,” kusho i-Science News.