Red Cross Blogs

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When I met the ever-smiling Nkhetheng in a kitchen in Pokane, in the mountainous kingdom of Lesotho, he was leading a group of villagers in some exquisite harmonies which filled the room alongside the fragrance of chutneys, pickles and jams which they were making as they sang.

Nkhetheng Pitso, 55, is married with ten children and knows all about the struggle to grow food in Lesotho’s challenging climate. This is his story:

“When I was younger I worked in the mines, but I came home in 2004. Now I’m a farmer, but at first it was difficult to feed my family. I used to try gardening but the crops would die, as I didn’t have the skills I have now. But things changed after I got involved with the Red Cross in 2008.

“The Red Cross officer encouraged unity in the village and I started volunteering because I was nominated by my community. I was taught about growing vegetables and now I give advice to others. Being a volunteer has boosted my confidence and I feel honoured in the village. We now have food to eat and before we struggled in the community. Now we can help each other.

“We were given seeds and the gardening is now very successful. We were also given water containers and taught to capture and store rainwater to use during droughts.

“Most of the community members are very poor, even me, but we know we will definitely get vegetables from my garden, such as spinach, radish, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes and pumpkins. Now I can grow vegetables all year round and sell some to meet other family needs. But I just give vegetables for free to those in my village who don’t have the money.

“In 2009, the Red Cross taught us to preserve food. Before that I only knew to preserve peaches and didn’t have so many recipes.

“I would love to open a restaurant but buying the utensils would be expensive. My children are so impressed by my skills and always recommend my food. I’m often asked to cook for people’s funerals.

“In February 2011, I was diagnosed with TB, but I wasn’t shocked because I had been in Red Cross workshops where I was taught about TB, so I knew I could get cured. As soon as I had some signs I went straight to the clinic.

“The Red Cross care facilitator was very close to me and my family, giving us support. She always came to check I was taking the medicine properly and I was still very active while taking the treatment, which I completed in July 2011.

“I was also tested for HIV and my wife too but we don’t have it, although many people in the community have been affected by HIV. Before, people were very ill but since the Red Cross came there are no longer bedridden people, all are living a better life and we are learning about HIV prevention.

“I’ve always loved for my children to be educated and now I work hard around here to pay for school fees so they can have a better future. I’d love my family to have peace and happiness and I’m doing what I can to make sure they get what they need so they are not sad.”

Read more stories from our HIV programme

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Tags: AIDS, food preservation, HIV, Lesotho, TB

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Despite the many tragedies Sthabile, 15, has already known in her life, she is a quietly assured young woman, with a vision for her future.

Sthabile never knew her father and was just five years old when her mother passed away from HIV in 2001. For a while her grandmother looked after her, but then she also died.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m alone,” Sthabile says. “But I try to forget it.”

Sthabile lives in South Africa, where one in four adults lives with HIV. You can donate to the British Red Cross South Africa HIV Fund, and help us continue our HIV programme in South Africa.

Becoming an HIV orphan

For many years now, Sthabile has been looked after by her neighbour Nomusa Mnguni – who was a friend of Sthabile’s grandmother.

A few years ago, a Red Cross volunteer came to the house and invited Sthabile and Nelly – another teenage orphan adopted by Nomusa – to join the support group.

“The Red Cross gave us some food parcels, clothing and blankets,” says Sthabile. “I like going there, as there are lots of children to play with. I’ve also learned things, like about HIV and how you get infected.”

Red Cross support

Zinhle Doncabe, who runs the Red Cross club for orphans and vulnerable children, says: “When I first met Sthabile in 2008 she was shy and had low self-esteem.

“We do an exercise with the kids called ‘the tree of life’ which involves them drawing a tree and looking at their lives and plans for their future. We also encourage them to make memory boxes. They put photos of the family members they’ve lost in them, with stories that they we encourage them to write about them.

“When we began this with Sthabile, she was questioning a lot about why we were doing it and how it would help. But over time, through playing and talking with her and encouraging her to write things down, she’s changed. She talked to me about not having her parents and she’s no longer struggling with her emotions. She’s ready to go on with her life and keeps emphasising she wants to continue her education.”

A granny’s love

Nomusa looks after Sthabile and Nelly as if they were her own children. She says: “When the girls’ families passed away and they were left alone, I was afraid they would feel bad. I was also worried they might be abused as girls living alone. I don’t have much but I don’t see it as difficult choosing to look after them. Whatever I get I try by all means to take care of them.

“I think the Red Cross support group opens their minds and encourages them to do everything – to help out in the house and take responsibility for their schoolwork. Sthabile has no problems now. But Nelly’s mother only died last year and sometimes she doesn’t feel well but she doesn’t talk about why she’s not happy. I think maybe the group will help her.

“Times are changing but I always educate them about how to take care of themselves and especially not to have boyfriends at an early age. But I don’t talk about HIV, though I know they’ve learned about it from the Red Cross.”

Teenage pregnancy

Sthabile has a busy life – during the week she has school, and on Wednesdays and Fridays she goes to the Red Cross support group after school. On Saturday she washes her clothes and on Sunday she goes to church. But like any teenager, it’s hanging out with her friends that Sthabile most enjoys.

“My best friend Thobeka is understanding and I can really trust her. We like playing games like skip rope and listening to R&B or gospel music,” Sthabile says.

At 15, she is happy to wait a little longer before having a boyfriend. Despite, or perhaps because of the high levels of teenage pregnancy and domestic abuse around her, she is determined to avoid the same choices made by many of her peers.

“I want to grow up without getting pregnant while I’m young. I only want to have a family when I have the things I need. When I grow up I’d like a boyfriend who will take care of me, someone who won’t destroy me and who will like to see me happy. If I behave myself I think that it will happen.

“I don’t want to disappoint my granny. She is everything to me – my father, mother, uncle, everything.”

Daring to dream big

With around 40 per cent unemployment in South Africa, finding a job is a huge challenge, especially for those without a privileged start in life. But Sthabile is not daunted and as her confidence has grown she’s begun to think big.

“My granny says if I finish school and she’s still alive maybe her relatives will help me get a job with the police,” says Sthabile.

“But really I would like to be a nurse or doctor or social worker. I feel that if I face the world and tell them I can do this then I can make it. Even if I can’t be a doctor, I’ll get a job with payment. I won’t let myself down, I give myself the hope that one day I’ll be something.”

Find out more about how the Red Cross helps people living with HIV

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Tags: AIDS, HIV, orphans, South Africa

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The International Committee of the Red Cross recorded over 650 such attacks between mid-2008 and late 2010 in 16 nations it examined. In total, 1,834 people were killed or injured in these attacks.

On Monday (24 April), charity heads, academics, and healthcare experts and practitioners from around the world gathered in London to discuss the ICRC’s Healthcare in danger campaign.

As speakers at the conference shared their personal experiences of attacks, it became apparent those who are directly injured or killed are only the first people to be affected.

Devastating effect

Dr. Unni Karunakara, president of Médecins Sans Frontières International, explained how his organisation has had to suspend services in its recently opened maternity hospital in Khost, Afghanistan, after an explosion in the hospital compound last week. Since opening in March, the hospital had already delivered 600 babies.

As Professor Sir Michael Marmot argued in his presentation – citing Afghanistan as an example – lack of security affects both the healthcare system and general levels of health. According to Marmot, while only one in 46,500 women in Europe die during childbirth, the figure in Afghanistan is one in ten.

So you can imagine what happens when a maternity hospital has to close. And this is the affect of just one incident out of the hundreds occurring each year. In insecure regions, people are already extremely vulnerable and the loss of a healthcare facility can be devastating.

Dedicated healthcare volunteers and staff

Direct attacks on buildings, vehicles and staff are the tip of the iceberg – people’s access to healthcare can also be disrupted by administrative obstruction, discrimination and general insecurity.

All this boils down, as Geoff Loane, ICRC UK head of mission, said, to the wounded and sick not being able to get the care they deserve.

Despite the difficulties and dangers, volunteers and staff of many organisations worldwide continue to put risk their lives to save others. This video shows the courage and vulnerability of Libya Red Crescent volunteers working on the front lines to deliver healthcare:

While violence in Libya is no longer so severe, healthcare workers in many countries are still at risk. Despite this, volunteers and staff from the Red Cross and many other agencies continue to put themselves in danger to help vulnerable people access care. For instance, Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteers face huge risks daily to support people in areas of unrest.

Find out more about the Healthcare in danger project

Read how we’re helping people in challenging security situations in Syria, Kenya, Niger and Mali

Watch videos of Carolyn Miller, Doctor Vivienne Nathanson, Doctor Unni Karunakara and Professor Sir Andrew Haines, who all spoke at the conference.

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Tags: health care in danger, healthcare workers, International Committee

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It’s official – we are living longer than our ancestors.

On Saturday April 7 the World Health Organisation dedicated its annual World Health Day to issues caused by an ageing population. In the UK alone there are currently about three million people aged 80 or elderly – and by 2050 that number is set to climb to eight million. 

While a bright future of cakes and presents is obviously something to look forward to, an ageing population brings big challenges – particularly if everyone is to have access to quality health and social care.

The British Red Cross is already delivering the support that many more of us will need as life expectancy rises. Our social support makes a massive difference in communities across the UK – often to the lives of elderly people. Our volunteers pitch in with everything from wheelchair loans for people just out of hospital to a transport service that gets people out and about, and can also pick up shopping and prescriptions or offer a relaxing massage. And sometimes they make a big difference just by popping in for a cup of tea and a chat.

So how do we make a difference?

Tackling isolation and loneliness
Two million elderly people struggle to get to their local corner shop, post office or supermarket, according to research published last month. The Red Cross can help elderly people like Beryl, who lost her confidence after a nasty fall and stay in hospital, get out and about with its care in the home service. A volunteer helped her get back into her normal routine – Beryl said she didn’t know what she’d have done without the Red Cross.

Getting people back on their feet
Elderly people are more likely to need operations and hospital care. When Derrick came home to recover after surgery, the daunting task of looking after him proved tough for his wife Margaret. The Red Cross medical equipment service eased the pressure by lending Derrick a wheelchair, while Margaret was able to get “wonderful advice” and share her worries with a sympathetic volunteer.

Advice and practical support
Rachel found herself in desperate need of support after suffering years of domestic violence. Red Cross volunteers from the care in the home service helped her claim benefit payments she was entitled to, gave her a hand with day-to-day tasks like shopping and supplied some much-needed reassurance. The results were life changing.
While our ageing population brings challenges everyone should think about, British Red Cross services can help people be at their best regardless of how many candles were on their last birthday cake.

Don’t believe me? Ask the elderly people who were given a helping hand by the Red Cross – then decided to pass on the favour by becoming volunteers themselves.

Visit the Red Cross website for more information about the care in the home, medical equipment, therapeutic care and transport services.

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Tags: Health and social care, UK

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Let me tell you about a boy I met last month who I couldn’t help.

I was in a remote village in the middle of the hot, barren, sandy savannah in Burkina Faso. There, I met Ouilimatou Diko, a young boy, not even two years old, who had just been diagnosed by a Red Cross nurse as acutely malnourished.

I spent several weeks travelling through Senegal, Burkina Faso and Mali to report on the looming food crisis. I met many mothers and fathers who told me their stories about how they are literally on the brink of survival, how their children are hungry and the burden they carry worrying about how to provide the next meal.

Ouilimatou’s grandmother Fatima, had been looking after him since his mother became sick a month ago. Fatima had been bringing Ouilimatou to the Red Cross health post where he receives a vitamin and mineral enhanced porridge.

But because he’d developed diarrhoea, his health had rapidly deteriorated. The Red Cross nurse referred him to the nearest health centre, which is 15 km away, as he needs more intensive care. However, Fatima has no means of transport and getting there will be a huge challenge.

As Ouilimatou sat limply in his grandmother’s lap I proffered him my finger and he held on tightly with a strength I didn’t think he had. When children are acutely malnourished in the most extreme way they are at risk of getting ill and can have literally a few weeks to live, unless they get appropriate treatment. If they do get treatment however, it is not difficult to save their lives.

Ouilimatou would not let go of my finger and in the end I had to pull it away and all I could think was: ‘I’m sorry I have to walk away from you, but I will try and help in whatever small way I can, by telling your story.’

I hope that his grandmother found a way to get him to the health centre. I don’t know if she did.

The next day, on one of the long journeys between villages, I bought a packet of banana chips to snack on. I threw the packet, empty except for crumbs, in the bin in the room I was staying in that night along with some other rubbish.

In the morning when I checked out I returned to the room to find the cleaning boy had removed the packet of crumbs from my other rubbish and finished them off. I know this sort of thing happens on a daily basis around the world. But normally I don’t have to see it. And there is nothing like seeing someone else eating your rubbish to make you question what kind of a global food system we’ve set up for ourselves.

Right now across the Sahel, millions of people are suffering from severe hunger. The UN estimates a million children could be acutely malnourished by the summer.

There are many demands on all of our time and money. It can be particularly hard to feel connected to a crisis like this one, that’s only just emerging and has received little media attention.

And we can’t all meet children like Ouilimatou. But I did, and all I can tell you is that it made me understand how urgent the needs are in west Africa, and how important it is that we don’t ignore these people’s stories.

The Red Cross desperately needs more funds to help save lives and livelihoods in the Sahel. Please don’t wait until it’s all over the news, it will be too late.

The time to act is now.

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Tags: Burkina Faso, Mali, malnutrition, Senegal, West Africa Food Crisis Appeal

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