Impilo edition 1

28 May 2017 Ed 1

Impilo Bringing Grahamstown back to life

(De)hydrated Grahamstown water is a health hazard

T

he Grahamstown water crisis is gravely affecting the community’s health, luckily with the help of MobiSAM, this issue is slowly being fixed.

On 16 March, a meeting was held to introduce the local community to MobiSAM. MobiSAM is a brand new mobile application, accessible online, that has been put in place in order for residents to easily connect with the Makana Municipality.

The new application serves as a way for community members to instantly report pressing service delivery issues concerning electricity, sanitation and water.

Though Grahamstown faces frequent power outages, the current water crisis is detrimental to the health of the community. Not only is Grahamstown water unfit for human consumption due to copper sulfates, but it is quickly running out. Many residents are not always able to afford clean water and cannot easily

collect water from local springs. This then results in many using the unsafe water, which can result in serious illness. Many residents feel unsafe with the water crisis and have “fallen ill after drinking the water”, said Megan Stachen, a second year at UCKAR. The problem of the water crisis became more apparent after the 2016 National Arts Festival. During this large festival, hundreds of visitors from all over the world came to Grahamstown. Unfortunately, there was a low supply of water which eventually ran out.

The new solution that has been put in place by MobiSAM is a way of forward from the water crisis in Grahamstown . These short-term solutions that are put in place may be a starting point, but aid towards the greater resolution of a municipal crisis.

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Fallen ill after drinking the water

By Megan Glass

A healthy home at UCKAR R

obert Sobukwe house, formerly known as Jan Smuts, is the biggest residence at UCKAR. The house contains a whopping three common rooms, seven bathrooms, and 246 bedrooms which house 135 students. When you have this many people around living together it undoubtable is going to get dirty very quickly, but thanks to the cleaning staff this does not happen.

There are 3 to 4 cleaning staff on shift per day as well as a supervisor. They work nine hours a day, five days a week. Every second weekend the cleaning staff also have to come in to work overtime to ensure the cleanliness inside the residences is up to standard. Unfortunately to keep the house clean they also have to work on most public holidays.

This can become very demanding for them but despite this they manage to keep their chins held high.

Inside every residence at UCKAR are a plethora of cleaning jobs to be done. Each common room has to be clean at all times, which tends to collect a lot of dirt due to the amount of people walking in and out. Floors and walls have to be constantly cleaned, windows have to be kept shiny, each floor’s rubbish bins have to be taken out daily- and that is considered the easy part of their jobs.

On top of all this, they have the monumental task of keeping the bathrooms clean.

Everyone has probably experienced someone complaining about the bathroom, now imagine having to keep seven clean simultaneously for 135 men! Inside the bathrooms are toilets, urinals, showers, baths and basins. The ladies not only manage these heinously dirty bathrooms but the whole house as well. This is no easy job, and requires a huge amount of patience, dedication and care.

The house supervisor, Linda Mavuso, coordinates the cleaning staff. Mavuso plays a vital role in many aspects of the house. She ensures that the cleanliness and hygiene is kept to the highest possible standard. Mavuso also ensures that broken and missing items in the house are fixed and replaced- such as desks, heaters, lights, windows and more. To go along with her own administrative work, Mavuso always makes sure that students are her top priority. She prides herself in the work she does and is very grateful for the opportunities she has been given.

Chris Johnston, a student that stays in Robert Sobukwe house, claims he has never had any problem with the hygiene of the house . “The cleaning staff always feel welcoming and never seems to show anything but love for us”, said Johnston admiringly.

Unfortunately with all the hard work the womxn put in, they are not always rewarded sufficiently. The cleaning staff do experience issues. With having to work overtime every second week, they often go without having breaks or regular weekends. Mavuso explained that a few years ago they were engaging in conversation with UCKAR management to allow them to have a midweek break when they have to come in on the weekends. Sadly, nothing came from these discussions.

Another problem that occurs within the cleaning staff is a lack of resources in terms of both wages and supplies. Mavuso said that the University could help with giving higher wages to make their lives more comfortable. The staff also expressed that getting hold of supplies from the University can also be challenging. They find that this hinders their ability to provide better services to the students, which is frustrating. The cleaning staff claim that this does not affect the hygiene of the house but believe that it is getting harder and harder as time goes on.

The cleaning staff at Robert Sobukwe house have to work day in and day out to ensure the enormous house is kept clean and hygienic. Their hard work and dedication is shown through the clean environment in the house. Although the University might not be able to reward the staff sufficiently the students inside the resident appreciate it wholeheartedly.

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The cleaning staff always feel welcoming and never seems to show anything but love for us

*real names not used

By Gareth Swain

T

he washed out streets of Grahamstown are soaked with rain, and quiet passers-by continue with their day as normal. There are no new posters, signs, or events aside from the usual Friday festivities. The silence on the streets parallels the silence of the many voices that are lost each year by tuberculosis (TB).

24 March 2017 is World TB Day, but Grahamstown doesn’t seem to care.

According to the South African National Tuberculosis Association (SANTA) as well as the World Health Organisation (WHO), TB is the number one cause of death in South Africa. The Department of Health informed, “In 2010 the reported number of cases fowr all types of TB was 805 per 100 000 population.” In a 2012 audit of national health care facilities, the Department of Health found that there were only 35 hospitals nationwide that specialised in treating TB. This number feels small given the size and span of the threat itself.

In 2016, HeraldLIVE wrote that Grahamstown “has the highest percentage in the Eastern Cape of people living with tuberculosis”. The majority of those infected live in rural areas and informal settlements in and around Grahamstown. With these areas having little to no access to health care facilities, the cure rate in Grahamstown sits at 70 percent, far below the national standard of 85 percent. One facility located in Joza, Temba SANTA TB Hospital, nearly closed its doors to patients in 2001. News24 reported that Temba suffered from a severe lack of funding and poor management. These factors were detrimental and compromised Temba’s ability to care for an increasing number of TB patients.

In 2017, local government officials work to do routine checkups on health care facilities as a way to prevent problems like those faced by Temba in 2001. Darryn Holm, Ward 12 Counselor for Makana Municipality explained that they visit Temba once a month to ensure the facility is running properly. Holm was unaware that 24 March was World TB Day, as it had not been discussed in committee meetings. Though government officials work to maintain and improve health care facilities, the lack of focus on TB specifically, is evident.

Holm added, “A large problem is that people don’t understand what TB actually is.” Deemed a “public threat” by Mail & Guardian, a large misconception is that TB pales in comparison to the severity of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa. Though HIV/AIDS continues to plague South Africa, persons with HIV/AIDS are the most at risk for TB infection. According to SANTA, “The South African causes of death from death notifications, gives a figure of 62,827 for 2010 which is 11.6 percent of the number of people who have died, and this includes people who also had HIV as well as TB.” The lack of inclusion of TB in discussions and public awareness campaigns surrounding HIV/AIDS and STIs is shocking.

UCKAR postgraduate student Cassandra Guerra expressed, “In third year Psychology we look at critical health issues such as ARV adherence, STIs and HIV/AIDS. We did HIV/AIDS extensively and looked at the issue from different aspects. We did not ever look at the critical health issue of TB nor was TB ever really discussed, even though we were looking at HIV/ AIDS from different aspects.”

Though Guerra’s insight into UCKAR curriculum is disheartening, the University raises awareness in other ways. Thandi Mzizi, UCKAR’s institutional wellness specialist, organises the “First Things First” campaign each year. The campaign serves as a platform to raise awareness and education about HIV/AIDS, TB, and STIs, by providing free testing to students as well as counselling. Mzizi stated, “Students want to be aware, but we have a shortage of staff”. Mzizi’s work as the institutional wellness specialist allows his time to be split between students and staff, with only 30 percent dedicated to students. With more staff in similar positions as Mzizi, greater awareness and education efforts could be made.

In addition to “First Things First”, other organisations like the South African Red Cross Society (SARCS) and the Eastern Cape AIDS Council (ECAC) also work towards eradicating HIV/AIDS and TB in South Africa.

23 March 2017, Health Department’s Yogan Pillay commented to Mail & Guardian that “Today, SA is seeing fewer new TB cases and deaths than ever before.” South Africa’s new National Strategic Plan on HIV, STIs and TB, set to be released the end of this month, includes a new blueprint to combat these major health threats. “For example, we’re planning to find more ‘missing cases’ - people who have TB but don’t know it - by identifying all patients with TB symptoms in our health facilities” Pillay said.

At a Grahamstown level Holm believed that “we can host community forums” as ways to spur positive and educational dialogue among residents.

However, as the sun sets on World TB Day in Grahamstown, not a single murmur about these issues can be heard from the streets. Until TB is fully recognised as South Africa’s number one killer, can any sort of change occur?

The ignorance about things such as World TB Day will continue to grow if this silence is not broken.

In 2017, Grahamstown ignored World TB Day, but TB has not ignored Grahamstown.

In 2017, Grahamstown ignored World TB Day, but TB has not ignored Grahamstown. Photo: KATHRYN CLEARY.

By Kathryn Cleary

Why did Grahamstown forget World TB Day?

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Today, SA is seeing fewer new TB cases and deaths than ever before

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In 2010 the reported number of cases for all types of TB was 805 per 100 000 population

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A large problem is that people don’t understand what TB actually is

What’s (not) on the table?

In South Africa, the stigmas surrounding HIV/AIDS encourage a culture of secrecy and shame. With Grahamstown residents and UCKAR students facing these stigmas and this virus everyday, Impilo finds it crucial to bring these issues to the forefront of discussion. This page works to acknowledge what is often ‘brought to the dinner table’. HIV/AIDS has been under the table for far too long, it’s time to get a closer look and know your status.

On the hunt for healthy food T

oday, the overall health of UCKAR students is in poor shape. healthy enough for me”, Ceruti said.

Not only are students not eating healthy, but are seriously conOne of the ways students can stay healthier is by living off-camtributing to the Grahamstown fast food industry. Long term effects pus, in their own digs. Though having control over what one eats of unhealthy eating can attribute to a loss of energy, poor muscle is appealing, there is an added cost in terms of finances and work. mass, and weight gain. With many students living on campus, Preparing meals from scratch on a daily basis can become tiring, dining hall food is not up to the healthy but ordering food from a local restaurant standards that students are looking for. is not a feasible option for students. “I am I do not eat at the dining hall Some students at UCKAR find it hard in the process of losing weight, and being the entire week because the to stay healthy during term because in Grahamstown and living in res does not Grahamstown’s healthier options are make it easy at all, I find myself eating fastfood sometimes just tastes bad not easily accessible. Third-year student food at least three times a week because or is just not healthy enough Tlhologelo Mahlala and first-year there isn’t any other option.”, said Mahlala. student Katherine Ceruti both agree that for me It is clear that students want to eat healthier the seemingly ‘healthy food’ they are but the options available to them at UCKAR served in the dining hall is not healthy and in Grahamstown make it very diffiat all, they both describe the food as very cult to stay and eat healthy. Until the food in the dining halls oily, which immediately puts off an better reflect students’ healthy wishes, overall well-being unhealthy feeling. “I do not eat at at UCKAR will continue to be an issue. the dining hall the entire week because the food sometimes

By Unathi Balele just tastes bad or is just not

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Know your status, know your self For many, HIV is like an annoying, bitter uncle that they forget about and only remember him when brought up in conversation and somehow end up asking, “is he still alive?’’ or “why is he still alive?’’. However, though people talk about the virus with such causality, many are unaware of the ways that HIV is transmitted. Amongst UCKAR students, the issue of unprotected sex is of real concern.

Peter James, a fifth-year student at UCKAR discusses his sexual experiences. Having not done an HIV test in almost three years, James expresses that getting tested is not a priority for him. After having unprotected sex, James expresses that his first concern is about his partner becoming pregnant. James is not be the only one who thinks this way.

Fellow students Pablo Graham and Albert Drake shared the same sentiments.

“I’m immune to HIV”, says Graham rhetorically. The three students laugh, thinking back to to the remark made by South African President Jacob Zuma, that he did not have HIV because he took a shower after

unprotected sex. For a virus so deadly, few take it seriously. Drake talks about how he does not have multiple partners as he would not want to endanger himself or his girlfriend.

Though he only has sex with his girlfriend, they do not use protection.

Just minutes away from UCKAR’s campus, is the Anglo African Clinic, a government organisation that provides HIVAIDS related 11treatment, care and support services.

This clinic is an accredited antiretroviral (ARV) treatment and on-going treatment site. Drake and his girlfriend visit the clinic frequently for testing and recommend other students to also take advantage of this resource. With UCKAR’s health centre frequently overbooked, students can go to this welcoming and professional clinic for all the help they need.

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I’m immune to HIV

*real names not used

By Lisa Ncalene

Welcome to womxnhood Top: The white patches above and below Naik’s eyes used to be much bigger before Ayurvedic treatment. Right: Naik has a rare skin pigmentation disorder called leukoderma. The white “spots” on her knees

More than (un)fair and lovely are a result of the condition. Photos: KATHRYN CLEARY.

“I

’m going to need a cigarette for this”, UCKAR student Drashti Naik said, shuffling through her bedroom drawers for her metallic cigarette box. Her summer outfit choice of a loose fitting t-shirt and denim shorts revealed white marks on her knees, elbows and ankles. The marks were noticeable in contrast to her caramel skin.

“In Indian media it’s all about being ‘fair and lovely’...fair and lovely...fair and lovely...and I wasn’t ‘fair and lovely’.” The pedantic recitation of the words “fair and lovely” caused Naik distress. Old memories of superficial adverts on Indian television encouraging womxn to purchase the popular skin-lightening product, Fair & Lovely, haunted her. She adjusts her position on the chair in the garden, a faint smile crossing her face as she notices a message from her boyfriend. She tucks her knees into her chest, as if to intentionally show her remaining spots.

The white marks are a result of a skin pigmentation condition called leukoderma, which Naik developed at the age of ten.

Leukoderma is defined in Western medicine as, “partial or total loss or absence of pigmentation that is marked especially by white patches of skin”. “I woke up one morning and had these spots”, she said.

Naik’s mother was mortified. “My mom would say, ‘what about jobs, who’s she going to marry?’ Already I’m ten years old and I have to think about this.” Growing up in a conservative Indian family was hard. But the overwhelming traditionalist values made it even harder.

Going to school was painful. Her mysterious spots attracted immature onlookers in class and at the library. “People would stay away from me”, she said. “You have this dark-skinned girl with white patches everywhere looking like a cow or a Dalmatian”. Naik wore long pants and long-sleeved shirts whenever she could, and applied copious amounts of dark coloured eye shadow to her spots when she couldn’t.

The December after the spots first appeared, Naik went on a family trip to Gujarat, India. One of her cousins noticed her spots and told her he could cure them. “100 percent gone!”, he claimed. Naik and her family were hesitant, because Western medicinal practises offered no cure aside from skin bleaching.

Naik’s cousin was a Vaid, a practitioner of Ayurvedic medicine.

Ayurveda is an ancient alternative medicine practice that focuses on healing the body and mind naturally. “It takes care of the root of the problem”, Naik explained. Naik’s cousin even told her he had cured Parkinson’s disease, after receiving a beautifully handwritten letter from the previously disabled patient.

Naik began treatment with her cousin immediately, staying with him in India for six to seven weeks every December for the next seven years. “I’d go to the [Ayurvedic] hospital in the morning, come back mid-afternoon, and go back in the evenings again”, described Naik. Her treatment included what Naik called “photosynthesis”, where she would sit in light sunlight at sunrise and sunset for 15 minutes with an herbal paste applied to her spots.

She also received massages with natural oils and sauna treatments each day to help her body get rid of toxins. The third part of Naik’s treatment was much more intrusive. “The weirder part of it was the enemas; with different oils, gee, and roots. There were the small ones and the big ones. It’s horrible... cramps, pain. It wasn’t always the greatest time.”, said Naik.

After seven years of treatment Naik’s spots have nearly disappeared. She stopped treatment after her final year of high school, as it took away too much from her social life. “I wanted to be a kid again”, she said. Naik’s cousin often reminded her, “If medicine was nice everyone would be fine, there’s some parts of medicine where you have to sacrifice some parts of you, like your social life”.

She added, “Every December vac my friends were doing fun things, and I was doing this because of my future.”

Naik’s life since coming to university has been positive, but challenging. “I have to work on not defining myself through my spots”, she said.

Taking the last puff of her cigarette, Naik’s gaze shifts beyond the trees that line the back fence of her garden. “My mom quoted Roald Dahl, she said, ‘if you’re a lovely person then your loveliness shines from your face like sunbeams’ or something”, Naik said as she extinguished her cigarette. Naik’s mother was close.

Dahl writes, “A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a

In poorer communities in South Africa, womxn are at a severe disadvantage in terms of their access to sanitary products. Fourth year student at UCKAR, Pinky Bee Majozi, was willing enough to share her personal story, highlighting the harsh reality of womxnhood in an impoverished community. Her story sheds light on the many disadvantages that womxn like her, and in her community face when they do not have access to sanitary products.

Majozi’s story begins when her menstrual cycle started. She grew up in a lower class area in the Eastern Cape, where sanitary products were not easy to come by. The beginning of the menstrual cycle was a stressful time for Majozi. To make matters worse, she did not have the proper materials to take care of herself, nor could she access them.

Though her situation might seem uncomfortable, Majozi was confident in sharing her story.

Sanitary products were not an option for Majozi, the only solution she had during the time was to use rags, as many girls do use when

they have no other option. Unlike pads and tampons, these rags were reusable. Rags may have been cheaper than pads or tampons, but they were not conducive to Majozi’s education.

The rags needed to be washed frequently, which could not be done at her school, causing Majozi to miss class. “I felt like I couldn’t physically do anything”, she lamented. The only place where Majozi had access to sanitary products was in town, visiting her aunt.

To this day, young womxn all over the world struggle to access sanitary products. For Majozi, growing up in a remote area of the Eastern Cape was especially hard as there were few shops that sold what she needed. Being forced to use other means of taking care of herself put Majozi’s health at serious risk.

The pricing of sanitary products is constantly increasing throughout South Africa. “They would constantly increase as a money mak-

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You have this dark-skinned girl

with white patches everywhere looking like a cow or a Dalmatian

double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”

Naik will never be “fair and lovely” like the womxn on television, but her Ayurvedic journey has helped her to see a new kind of loveliness.

By Kathryn Cleary

Rinsing bloody rags and wearing clean pads ing scheme”, Majozi said. High prices, along with inaccessible made Majozi’s first experiences of womxnhood even more strenuous. But what Majozi soon realised is that her experience was not uncommon.

Throughout South Africa the price and accessibility of sanitary products is becoming more and more of a problem. Many social media campaigns have been put in place, such as #Pledgeapad at UCKAR, as a means to spread awareness and receive donations of products for womxn all over the country. Though Majozi was never able to reap the rewards of such campaigns, as a university student she now understands the importance of them and hopes that in the future a womxn’s welcome into ‘womxnhood’ is not as difficult.

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I felt like I couldn’t physically do anything

By Megan Glass

Empty(ness) Adjective: containing nothing, not filled or occupied (Noun: the state of containing nothing)

A

t 21 years old, the usually happy and free spirited Amanda Cross carries a deep, dark secret that has been haunting her for more than two years. “Never say you will never do something because you never know what situation you might find yourself in someday”, says Cross as she buries her face in her hands. In her first year at UCKAR, Cross faced the horror of having to surgically terminate a pregnancy. “I got pregnant after sleeping with my first boyfriend”, she explained. “Who even gets pregnant the first time they have sex?”

After visiting the university healthcare centre to confirm her pregnancy, she was instructed to go to Settlers Hospital to find out how far along she was. “I was 12 weeks and four days pregnant”, she says in between sniffles. Cross was told that they could not give her a termination pill, as she was too close to 13 weeks. Though termination is legal in South Africa up to 20 weeks, some facilities will not perform the surgery after a certain time frame. Thereafter, she was advised to go to Port Elizabeth, where she could receive care from a government hospital.

With three days left until she was 13 weeks pregnant, finances became an immediate issue. Cross could not go to Port Elizabeth for the procedure alone, and she did not have the money to pay for herself or her boyfriend. Once she had acquired the finances, Cross and her boyfriend arrived at Dora Nginza Hospital one day after the 13 week mark. However, Cross was told that the child was too big and could result in surgical complications; therefore they could not do the procedure.“They can’t do it I said to him. The de-

feat in his eyes told me that it was time to give up and accept that we were going to be parents” says Cross. After a disheartening day at the hospital, 18 year-old Cross and her boyfriend headed back to Grahamstown.

After numerous internet searches they discovered Marie Stopes, a termination clinic that was located in areas close to Grahamstown. Cautious about this information, Cross went back to Settlers to see if they knew about Marie Stopes. They confirmed with her that it was a legal and safe clinic. Though this was good news, her second visit to Settlers was not entirely positive. A member of the cleaning staff approached Cross, “ ‘You don’t have to do this. I see many others like you come and go out of this place but something that you all don’t know is that your parents will get over it. They will be mad at first, but they all get over it. Don’t do it my child.’ Those were his exact words”, she said between sobs.

As a result of Cross’ termination, she failed most of her subjects, went into financial debt, and suffered severe mental and emotional trauma. “I would never wish upon what I went through even on my worst enemy” she emphasised. With her hands crossed across her chest, she rocks back and forth. She elaborated on the horrors of surgical termination in comparison to the pill.

After borrowing money from three people that Cross and her boyfriend knew, Cross was on her way to East London for the very first time, alone. At Marie Stopes Clinic she was told that she would have to come back in two months, as that was when the doctor would be available. Three months pregnant, Cross sat at Marie

Stopes Clinic among 12 other womxn who were there for the very same reason. “They were all really old womxn, and they did not seem as scared as I was”, she said. From stories of adultery and being career driven, these womxn spoke freely about why they were having the terminations. One by one the womxn went in to receive a pill which would terminate the baby, thereafter they would have the baby surgically removed from their womb. Having taken this pill, Cross was told that she could not continue with the procedure as she had not paid the full amount. While her boyfriend ran around the whole of Grahamstown trying to attain the remaining R1 240 of the R3 450, Cross sat in the clinic in pain. “I could feel the baby die inside of me” she says in a cold and heart breaking tone. After six hours, the baby was surgically removed and the bill paid. Cross left the clinic with an empty bank account and an even emptier womb and heart.

“I convince myself every time that my education and future mattered most, though through this I became scared of going to church or of even speaking about this to other people” she said. More than two years later, Cross and her boyfriend are still paying off their debt, constantly remembering the morbid trauma and pain of the death of their child. *real names have not been used

By Lisa Ncalane

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I would never wish upon what I went through even on my worst enemy

At 18 years of age, Amanda Cross terminated her pregnancy. Her termination still haunts her more than two years later. Photo: KATHRYN CLEARY.

Banana flavoured condoms won’t get me a gynae A

t the University Currently Known as Rhodes (UCKAR), students enter bathrooms on campus only to be greeted by an array of free condoms, casually displayed in off-white metal box dispensers. Upon sifting through such an assortment of goodies, students have some exciting choices. For some, the regular dark blue packaged Choice might do the trick, for others, perhaps the cellophane wrapped, banana flavoured condom. Whether true blue, or banana; the choice is completely yours. But is this the best that UCKAR can offer its students?

The lack of comprehensive sex-education at UCKAR is a serious concern.

During students’ first few days at UCKAR, they engage in quaint chats with their residence hall wardens, or staff; briefly discussing ‘hook-up culture’ and safe-sex. Fourth-year sub-warden Heather Dixon recalls her orientation week; “they showed us how to put a condom on by using a microphone in Barratt, but that was it, it was all about contraceptives.” Four years later for Dixon and not much has changed.

Though providing students with free contraceptives is beneficial, the absence of further education and resources remains a problem. Unplanned pregnancy is a pertinent matter in South Africa. UCKAR does have a “Pregnancy Protocol” (if you have the time to search for it on their website),

which includes encouraging information such as; “It must be emphasised that it is unfair to expect close friends and fellow students to support the student through the final stages of the pregnancy. They need to focus on their own academic studies.”

How kind.

The document also lists three options for pregnant students including; keeping the child or placing it up for adoption, termination “before 12 weeks in Grahamstown”, or “before 19 weeks in Port Elizabeth”. This information fails to adequately address and acknowledge the rights of the womxn. According to The Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act (1996) termination in South Africa is completely legal up to 20 weeks.

The sad part is, most womxn have no idea that these rights actually exist.

At UCKAR, unless a student were to Google the information, or consult a health practitioner, they would never know. Catriona Macleod writes in Behkisisa, “Surveys conducted among the users of public health clinics, university students and school pupils show that a large proportion of these men and

Summer bodies are not only made in winter Winter is slowly but surely on its way and cold nights and rainy days are not the only thing this season is known for. Ever see those headlines splayed out on the covers of People and Cosmo magazine, “Summer bodies are made in winter”?

Though you may have to put a few more layers on before hitting the gym, your legs will be ready for those running shorts just in time for summer. But is this seasonal solution really valid for one’s overall health?

During winter, people across the world decide to work off all the extra kilos they gained during summer. This hot and holiday-filled season is known for its every day ‘cheat day’ and easy going attitude, a combination that can become very unhealthy. Subsequently winter becomes a time when people decide that they would love to recover from all that they have put their bodies through. However, winter is cold and cold weather can lead to comfort eating. Therefore, people need to face the fact that the notion

womxn are wholly ignorant of their rights as laid out in the Act.” This gap in information creates violent spaces for stigmas concerning abortion and pregnancy to flourish.

Though UCKAR offers a colourful variety of free contraceptives, they are perpetuating a cycle of poor accountability, which in turn places greater social responsibility on students for their own health and wellbeing. It is no secret that South Africa’s healthcare system is in rough shape. Because the government cannot afford to account for the wellbeing of its public, individuals are forced to take matters into their own hands.

But how can people take care of themselves if they lack access to resources and information?

In Grahamstown, there is no resident gynaecologist. Rather, Settler’s Hospital hosts a visiting ‘gynae’ from Port Elizabeth occasionally. Though students can find many gynaecologists in Port Elizabeth, access to this resource is severely limited. The solution? Stock up on those free condoms, because at UCKAR, ‘a condom a day keeps the gynaecologist away!’

‘A condom a day keeps the gynaecologist away’. Photo: MEGAN GLASS.

By Kathryn Cleary

Bringing Grahamstown back to life Impilo: isiXhosa for life Impilo is an online publication bringing readers captivating and newsworthy stories regarding the current healthcare crisis in Grahamstown, South Africa. The title of the publication is in isiXhosa to bring attention to the dominancy of the language and its speakers. IsiXhosa is the most widely spoken language in Grahamstown, therefore we found it fitting to use a word that would be most widely understood. The publication’s title asserts that due to the poor state of health care, the community is in desperate need of help. With South Africa’s political and economic climate in turmoil, the health of South African citizens has been de-prioritised. As the Rand weakens, so does the health of citizens.

that “summer bodies are made in winter” is just a myth. People need to realise that if the ‘perfect summer body’ is what they want then that means working for it throughout the year, including summer. One needs to maintain a certain lifestyle and be consistent with that lifestyle.

Often people put their bodies under a lot of pressure and strain because of this seasonal faux-pas.

People tend to get super frustrated and impatient with themselves when their bodies are not responding to the sudden pressure it is being put under, forgetting that our bodies take about 21 days to get used to and respond effectively to changes that we introduce them to. Hence, starting with a healthy lifestyle and hoping for miraculous results in a short period of time is not realistic.

Summer bodies are not made in winter, and healthy living is not a seasonal fad.

With the current government failing to promote and create sustainable programs to relieve the country of HIV/AIDS and TB epidemics, Impilo serves as a contemporary platform for criticism and community engagement concerning these issues. End of March 2017, the Department of Health released a new plan of action for the amelioration of the HIV/ AIDS, TB and STIs in South Africa. Though highly praised by public figures like Yogan Pillay (Department of Health) in Mail & Guardian, HIV/AIDS activist groups have rejected this papered proposal. Anele Yawa, secretary general for Treatment Action Campaign says, “The new national strategic plan for HIV and TB is a plan that seems reasonable when considered in the abstract, but that risks falling apart when confronted by the realities of the public healthcare system and political context.”

By Unathi Balele

Unathi Balele Kathryn Cleary Megan Glass

With the Department of Health giving themselves a hearty pat on the back for their efforts, it is clear that South African citizens remain unhappy with these institutionalised measures. Given South Africa’s growing systemic inequalities, Impilo works to de-centralise discussions of health care, and present community-centric content that promotes a bottom-up versus a top-down approach to solutions.

In an era of citizen-led protest and action, Impilo works to integrate these socially reflective practises of engagement and criticism. This edition features content highlighting the prevalence of tuberculosis in Grahamstown, as well as the uncharted territory of abortions. In 2016, HeraldLIVE reported that Grahamstown had the highest rate of tuberculosis infection in the Eastern Cape, yet on World TB Day, Grahamstown remained silent. Walking down local streets, scraps of posters can be seen on rusted light posts and brick walls. These posters once read “QUICK EASY ABORTION”, with a phone number listed at the bottom.

The absence of these posters, combined with the silence on World TB Day only serve as small reminders of the growing healthcare crisis in Grahamstown, and South Africa at large. Impilo strives to not only highlight healthcare issues, but bring life back to them and the people that they afflict.

Staff details Lisa Ncalene Maka Nyingwa Gareth Swain