MUSLIM INITIATIVES
4.4. WAQFUL WAQIFINFOUNDATION
patients. The group visits patients at Prince Msheni, King Edward and Mahatma Gandhi hospitals in Durban. At the request of the hospital administration, the Movement feeds the IllV/AIDS out-patients when they come to collect their medication once a week. It has also given these out-patients a food hamper to the value of R80 for the Christmas period (December 2002) all these patients were non-Muslims from the Zulu speaking community. All the IllV/AIDS patients, as well as the hospital staff, appreciate this gesture from the Movement. This aspect is an ongoing activity and is made possible by the fmancial support from the Muslim business people.73
The MYM works closely with inter-faith groups on IllV/AIDS awareness programmes and attends regular meetings and workshops in order to share information and exchange ideas. They also liaise with provincial and national government structures that deal with IllV/AIDS and participate in their programmes.
today. Since then, the Foundation has expanded its activities by providing containerised primary health care clinics in different parts of the country to serve the poor and needy as well as the disadvantaged communities. By December 2002, thirteen such containerised clinics have been constructed and stationed in various parts of the country and these can be transported anywhere in the country as they are mobile.74
The Foundation, since its inception in the early 1990s, has been providing relief to millions of people in the country as well as in different parts of the world by way of food, medicines, clothing, building material, basic utensils, water purifying tablets and medical equipment. All relief aid is given to any person in need, irrespective of religion, race and language. Some of the projects of the Foundation are education; health; feeding scheme for school children; food hamper relief, which includes a farmer's pack to enable the family to be self-sufficient for subsistence farming; computer project; electronic literacy and telephonic careline services on all social issues including HIV/AIDS.7S
The Gift of the Givers Careline service was introduced in May 1997. This free telephonic counselling service is available from Monday to Friday from 09hOO - 12hOO and is conducted by trained volunteers on a roster basis. They receive about 100 calls on average per month from people from all walks of life on various problems. Over one hundred people have been trained by December 2002 to provide this service. Initially, the ftrst group of volunteers was trained by the Pietermaritzburg Lifeline organisation and thereafter the Foundation has conducted their own training using the services of different
14 Interview with Dr I. Sooliman. January 2003.
15 Interview with Dr I. Sooliman. January 2003.
experts in the field. The training also includes a session on
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I AIDS which covers the following aspects:a) What is
mv
I AIDS?b) Transmission of
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AIDS c) Symptoms of lllV/AIDSd) Treatment options e) Prevention of
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AIDSf) Referrals for support and health centres
The Careline mv/AIDS telephonic counselling service was initiated in October 1998 because of the number of calls it received from people who had contracted IllV/AIDS and also from families that were affected by this. Callers are at liberty to make an appointment to discuss their problems with a counsellor at the offices of the Foundation which is based in Pietermaritzburg. The careline services are offered to all people irrespective of their religion, race ~d colour. If n~~ ~, th~ f~e~s ~e f~f~~? ~? ~~~~
1. 1 ':, !" I
structures in their area for further treatment, namely, clinic, rehabilitation centre, su~~ffi' . . . ~ . . ' p ~ ..
group, self-help scheme group, etc. Client confidentiality is maintained at all tinles.76' I " .
Members of the Foundation realised that there was a need for·-them to be trained in
mv
I AIDS therefore they attended the training that was offered by the IMA in K waZulu- Natal in June 1999. At the end of that training, eleven volunteers qualified as AIDS76 Interview with Ms Z. Sooliman. January 2003.
Educators. Since then, a structured programme on IDV I AIDS awareness has been put in place and this is as follows.77
A three-day workshop on IDV I AIDS awareness was initiated in August 2000 and is available for volunteers who wish to qualify as AIDS Educators. The training is conducted with a group of about twenty people at a time. Many people from different organisations, race and religious groups have already completed the training and qualified as AIDS Educators. This workshop was also specifically conducted for the Department of Education (Pietermaritzburg) with a group of twenty-eight teachers in August 2000. This workshop is also available in Durban to any persons or groups that request for it A qualified AIDS Educator mostly conducts the workshop at the offices of the Foundation whenever a group is available.78 The workshop covers the following aspects:
a) Exploring attitudes to IDVI AIDS b) Facts on IDV/AIDS
c) Modes of transmission d)
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and treatment options e) Video presentation on HIV/AIDS t) Session with people with AIDS g) Home-based care/infection control h) Deathlbereavementlcounselling i) Sexuality71 Interview with Ms Z. Sooliman. January 2003.
71 Interview with Ms Z. Sooliman. January 2003.
j) Prevention options k) Legal and ethical issues 1) Psycho-social implications m) Evaluation/certification
An mY/AIDS awareness workshop was initiated in September 1999 for the members of the general public. This is usually conducted at its offices with a group of about fifteen people at a time. Sometimes, organisations, ladies or youth groups request for this at their venue so that they can be empowered with the knowledge on mY I AIDS awareness. This
workshop is conducted whenever there is a request for it or when a group is available.79 It covers the following topics:
a) Self concept/introspection b) Attitudes to mY/AIDS c) Facts on mY/AIDS d) Modes of transmission e) Treatment options f) Sexuality
An awareness programme on mY/AIDS for young learners commenced in April 2001 and is conducted at schools that request it It is a three-hour programme and is designed for learners from grade six to grade twelve. The sessions are conducted with a class of about forty pupils at a time and are adapted to suit the level of the learners. The
79 Interview with Ms S. Sooliman. January 2003
Foundation has conducted this programme in many schools in Pietermaritzburg and also in a number of schools in the greater Durban area It is an ongoing activity that covers the following topics:80
a) Self concepti goal setting b) Attitudes to HlV / AIDS c) Facts on IllY/AIDS
d) Treatment options
e) Precaution/infection control
1) Sexuality
g) Assertiveness/self esteem h) Reflection/worksheets
A life-s19lls programme was initiated in·September 2000 for high school pupils. This is a three-day workshop which is offered to schools that request it. It is conducted with a peer group of about forty pupils from the school, namely, prefects or representative council of learners (RCL). These empowered learners in tum cascade the information to other pupils in the school. The topics are tailored to suit the needs of the school and its community.
Certificates are handed to pupils upon completion of the three-day workshop. This programme has been conducted in about forty schools thus far (April 2003) in the greater Durban area from Port Shepstone to Stanger. The general programme covers the following topiCS:81
80 Interview with Ms Z. Sooliman. January 2003
81 Interview with Ms S. Vadachia May 2003.
a) Self concept b) Introspection c) Problem solving d) Conflict management e) Assertiveness training
f) Coping skills g) Substance abuse h) Sexuality i) Relationships j) Study skills k) Motivation 1) Goal setting
m) HIV I AIDS awareness n) Evaluation/certification
The life-skills programme is also conducted in Pietermaritzburg with pupils, adults, staff of institutions, volunteer counsellors of the Foundation and inmates at the Howick halfway-house centre. The topics are tailored according to the needs of the groups.
Counselling services are also provided on a once a month basis to the inmates at the Howick halfway-house centre.8Z
Il Interview with Ms Z. Sooliman. May 2003.
In December 2002, the Foundation was approached by East Coast Radio (a regional radio station based in Durban) with a request to join them as a partner in their Toy Story Campaign for Durban and Pietermaritzburg. This campaign is conducted during the December festive period on a yearly basis and it entails providing meals, treats and toys to AIDS orphans. The Foundation participated in this campaign and procured most of the funds and goods from the Muslim community and the balance from the general public. It provided hot meals, toys, sweets, fruit, cool drinks, ice-creams and soaps to the AIDS orphans in Pietennaritzburg at the Royal Show ground on 6 December and in Durban at Kingsmead Sports Stadium on 9 December. The excess goods were also distributed to AIDS orphans in Newcastle. It is envisaged that this campaign will also be repeated for the December 2003 festive period with the participation of the Foundation.83
The Foundation participates in World AIDS Day and has been involved since 2000 onwards. It joins other religious organisations and gives an Islamic message of hope on IllV/AIDS. It distributes soaps, cotton wool, jik, vaseline and food hampers to AIDS orphans and their families.84 The Foundation works closely with various other organisations in IllV I AIDS awareness and prevention.