Ingane Okuthiwa UNobumpofu
EDOLOBHANENI elithile lase-Afrika, indoda okuthiwa u-Okot nomkayo uMatina, bajabula lapho kuzalwa indodakazi yabo eyizibulo. Abangane nezihlobo baya beyokhunga umntwana futhi beyozwakalisa ithemba labo lokuthi wayeyophila isikhathi eside futhi ajabule.
Lo mbhangqwana wawuphila ukuphila okulukhuni. Wawunesivande esincane, kanti umuzi wawo, lapho uMatina abelethela khona, wawuyindlu yezitini zodaka efulelwe ngotshani. Wawuzimisele ukuzikhandla ukuze wenze isimo sezibulo lawo sibe lula kunokuba kwakunjalo ngawo. Ukuze ungawukhohlwa lo mgomo, wetha indodakazi yawo ngokuthi u-Acan, okusho ukuthi “Ngimpofu.”
Ikusasa limphatheleni u-Acan? Uma ukuphila kwakhe kungafana nokwabaningi ezweni lakubo, angase angakwazi ukufunda ukuzifundela nokubhala. Lapho esekhulile, uma engawuthola umsebenzi, angase ahole imali engaba ngu-R925 kuphela ngonyaka. Ezweni lakubo, ubude besikhathi sokuphila esilindelekile yiminyaka engu-42 kuphela.
Usizi luka-Acan aluyona into engavamile. Kubantu abangaba yizigidi eziyizinkulungwane eziyisithupha abasemhlabeni, abangaba izigidi ezingu-1300 bahola imali engaphansi kuka-R1800 ngonyaka. Iholo elivamile emazweni acebile lingu-R105 182. Usuku ngalunye, kunezelwa abanye abangu-67 000 kuleli nani labampofu, okufinyelela enanini labangaba yizigidi ezingu-25 minyaka yonke. Abaningi bahlala emazweni asathuthuka—e-Afrika, e-Asia naseLatin America. Kodwa ngisho nasemazweni acebile, kunedlanzana labantu abampofu. Kanti abantu abangu-7 kwabayishumi abampofu emhlabeni bangabantu besifazane.
Abantu abaningi abanandlela yokubalekela ububha. Bubancisha izidingo zabo eziyisisekelo—ukudla, izingubo zokugqoka nendawo yokufihla ikhanda. Bungabaphuca inkululeko, isithunzi, imfundo nempilo enhle. I-World Health Organization ithi: “Ubumpofu bunethonya elibhubhisayo kuzo zonke izigaba zokuphila komuntu, kusukela lapho ekhulelwa kuze kube yilapho eya egodini. Buhlangana nezifo ezibhubhisayo nezibuhlungu kakhulu benze ukuphila kwabo bonke obubakhungethe kube lusizi.”
Kodwa ingabe izinga lokuphila emazweni asathuthuka alibi ngcono? Kwamanye, liyathuthuka. Kodwa kwamanye amaningi, akunjalo. Umagazini wezentuthuko yabantu i-Choices uchaza ukuthi umbono othi “abampofu bayathuthuka” ‘uyinganekwane eyingozi.’ Kunalokho, uthi: “Eqinisweni, siphila ezweni elihlukene phakathi kwezomnotho, phakathi kwamazwe nangaphakathi kuwo.”
Ingabe ubumpofu buyoqhubeka bukhungethe isintu phakade? Ezihlokweni ezimbili ezilandelayo, i-Phaphama! ihlola lesi simo esiyinkimbinkimbi bese ibonisa ukuthi ikhambi liyoba yini.