Forging Methods of Communication for Autistic People

Sakhisizwe is recognizing April as Autism awareness month. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder affecting people's ability to communicate and interact in a variety of ways. Sakhisizwe had the opportunity to discuss with the director of Autism Connect, Nicolette Ripepi, and Carmen Walker of #autismsowhat about their collaborations forging new platforms for Autistic people to communicate and stay informed about the world of Autism.

Children with ASD often struggle in schools due to the various ways autism affects communication. As a parent of a child with autism, Nicolette Ripepi was inspired to start Autism Connect, an early childhood development center that works with autistic learners to prepare them with the communication tools necessary to thrive in school.

Carmen Walker, a mother of two autistic children, and wife of an autistic person, noticed a pattern in autistic communities where there is a lack of centralized communication. She started #autismsowhat to bridge this gap and forge an online space where autistic people can share information about innovations that help their daily lives.

In our discussion, we explored the specifics of both of their projects and discussed their collaboration. We touched on their inspiring journeys raising children with autism and how those experiences influenced their work. We also went into some of the specific ways that autism affects communication and learning, misconceptions about autism, and recent innovations in the world of autism. Finally, they informed us about an event on April 27th to commemorate Autism Awareness Month, and some upcoming workshops about methods of communication for autism.

To learn more about autism connect, you can follow this link to their website, access them on facebook @autismconnectmp, or contact them on Whatsapp at 065 943 5025. To learn more about #autismsowhat you can access their facebook @austsmsowhat.

Finally you can check out the interview here:

Presenter: Jasnine Roberts and Nadia T

Producer: Nadia T

May is Asthma Awareness Month!

May is known to be Asthma Awareness month which is a time to raise awareness, take action and help make a difference in your own life, and the lives of more than 300 million people living with asthma. 

Asthma is a chronic lung disease affecting people of all ages. It is caused by inflammation and muscle tightening around the airways, which makes makes it challenging to breathe. Despite its widespread commonality, there is a lot of room for confusion when it comes to understanding how to diagnose, manage, and treat asthma. Even more questions arise when it comes to the fact that it affects people across all age groups.

Evidently, there's much to learn about asthma: How is it diagnosed? What are the symptoms? What are the triggers? How is it managed and treated? How does it affect children? and much more. Sakhisizwe had the privilege of speaking with Dr Shirani Naidoo, a specialist, Emergency and Ambulatory Pediatrician at the Red Cross Children's Hospital. During our conversation we addressed these questions and many more.

To learn more about Dr Naidoo and her work you can visit her Linkdin Page.

To learn more about asthma and asthma awareness you can visit this link: https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/world_asthma_day.htm

Producer: Nadia T

Presenters: Jasnine Roberts, Nadia T

Creating social change to vulnerable individuals

Many of us take social change for granted or don't even fully comprehend the concept but for organisations such as Badisa that implement and maintain programs that offer social assistance and residential care to vulnerable individuals in the Western, Northern, and Eastern Cape they strive for better communities and work hard in creating social changes.

Working together with communities, churches, other organizations, the government, and sponsors to accomplish their mission their services are compliant with both the global sustainable development goals and South Africa's national development plan.

The charity provides social welfare services in association with and on behalf of these churches. With a focus on justice, quality, stewardship, and service to others as its four pillars, Badisa is a values-driven organization. Anybody in need, regardless of age, gender, color, or religion, can get social welfare services from the organization.

Speaking to us about Badisa and the wonderful work that they do in creating social change in our communities is Director of Badisa Annemarie Bezuidenhout.

Presenter: Jasnine Roberts and Nadia Trinidad

Producer: Lydia M

For many tenants in Cape Town, evictions pose a very serious concern.

Today on Sakhisizwe we were speaking to an organisation called Ndifuna Ukwazi. An organisation that fights unfair evictions as well as inform the public of their legal rights, they offer legal counsel, and help those who are struggling with issues relating to landlord-tenant relationships.

In order to equip people to confront unfair and unlawful evictions, the program focuses on helping participants comprehend the legal framework as well as the political and economic environment in which evictions occur.

Ndifuna Ukwazi invites any member of the public to join its  free 12 week Advice Assembly programme at Monwabisi Recreation Centre, Rose Innes Street, Langa.

Advice Assembly is a weekly community education programme designed to help participants understand the laws that govern evictions and tenant-landlord issues in South Africa, equipping them with the legal and political knowledge to tackle unfair practices or resist unjust evictions.

For specific housing queries, the public can contact the Ndifuna Ukwazi Housing Clinic, which is open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 9am to 3pm. The Clinic works on a first-come first-serve basis to accommodate walk-ins, but encourages people to make an appointment through political organiser and paralegal Ntombi Sambu.

Call or WhatsApp Ntombi on 062 352 9372 or send an email to ntombi@nu.org.za. Terms and Conditions apply.  

Presenter: Jasnine Roberts 

Producer : Lydia M

FAST Prep - An Innovative method to help stop the spread of HIV and enhance the quality of life for those living with HIV/AIDS.

The Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF) is a registered non-profit company established in association with the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, an accredited research centre within the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town (UCT).

Through their dedication to innovation, quality, and humanity, they hope to mitigate the effects of the HIV epidemic on people, families, and communities. Their mission is to achieve the highest standards in HIV research, treatment, and prevention in South Africa. 

              

Educating us a little bit more about the work that is done at Desmond Tutu Health foundation in educating and providing health services of FASTPrEP in terms of HIV Prevention as well as HIV Treatment and other related infections is Mbali Jonas as well as Ntando

FAST Prep: Is an acronym for Foreskin and Mucosal Tissue Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis. It is specifically designed to target areas where HIV can spread, particularly in high-risk populations. By using this method, the antiretroviral drugs are directed to the foreskin and mucosal tissues—areas where sexual contact increases the risk of HIV infection.

Click on the link below to listen to what Mbali and Ntando have to say about the work that they do as The Desmond Tutu Health Foundation.

Presenter: Jasnine Roberts and Nadia Trinidad

Producer: Lydia M

Fertility issues because of Endometriosis - But with the right treatment hope can be restored for woman

Endometriosis: A disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. It causes severe pain in the pelvis and make it harder to get pregnant. Endometriosis can start at a person's first menstrual period and last until menopause.

According to the World Health Organisation, endometriosis affects approximately 10% of women of reproductive age globally. Among the adverse effects experienced by those suffering from endometriosis, fertility issues stand out as one of the most distressing symptoms. However, equipped with accurate information on how to manage symptoms as well as the treatment options available, women can reduce the impact that the disease has on their lives and their dreams of starting a family.

Studies have shown that in South Africa – and Africa at large – the prevalence of endometriosis has been largely understated, due to high diagnostic costs, lack of information and underdeveloped healthcare infrastructure.

Having endometriosis doesn’t automatically mean that you can’t fall pregnant or that you must have in vitro fertilization (IVF). This is because endometriosis occurs in four stages, ranging from minimal to severe. Each stage has a different impact on infertility, yet even patients with stage four endometriosis can conceive without medical intervention.

The encouraging news is that there are various treatments and strategies that can help sufferers of endometriosis to increases their chances of falling pregnant. Talking to us about endometriosis and effective treatment options is Dr Abri de Bruin the Senior Medical Director of Genesis Reproductive Center, and heads up MediClinic Kloof’s dedicated multidisciplinary endometriosis unit.

Presenter: Jasnine Roberts and Nadia Trinidad

Producer: Lydia M

Labour web tool for South African Small Businesses

Employers and non-unionized employees are often confronted with high costs associated with accessing guidance on labour relations matters.

The result thereof is that many small businesses are poorly equipped to comply with the administrative and legal requirements associated with the fair hiring and management of staff.

It is on this basis that BUSA and the CCMA embarked on the development of a free to use, self-service, web-based tool - the CCMA-BUSA Labour Advice Web Tool for Small Business– that provides users thereof with instant access to a wide range of labour relations information.

To learn more about the basics and overview of the CCMA/BUSA (Business Unity SA) Labour Advice Tool for Small Business and how to utilize was Colleen West from the CCMA.

Presenter :Jasnine Roberts

Producer: Lydia M