Students take Family Planning to the Community

BY: .

First year Nursing Management students in partnership with the eThekwini Health Unit hosted a Family Planning Awareness Day at Burlington Informal Settlement outside Durban hoping to attract people aged between 10 and 18.

There was a good turn out with people keen to learn more about family planning as a way to help reduce teenage pregnancy which was identified as a concern in the community during a recent survey there.

The event was attended by three clinic sisters from Queensburg Clinic who offered family planning services on the premises.

Three Social workers from Ethelbert Youth Centre in Malvern also attended. Student Social Worker Ms Xoli Mngomezulu spoke to the community about teenage pregnancy and how to deal with issues and family problems as well as the social impact and consequences of not being involved in family planning.

Queensburg Clinic Manager, Sister Gladness Sukude, told the gathering that clinics were not only for sick people, but also provided services such as counselling, male medical circumcision and family planning counselling. Her team distributed condoms and explained different types of family planning methods available at clinics.

After Sukude’s presentation the students taught the community a condom use song before continuing with the programme.

Guest of honour, Mrs Nono Dhlomo, wife of KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, advised the youth to get educated as that was the key to success.

-          Nombuso Dlamini