Ingcwethi Zempilakahle: Inane Labomama Abamunyisayo Lokhe Lisehla
Ukucubungula okuqhutshwe yinhlanganiso yeZimbabwe Food and Nutrition Council nyakenye kuveza ukuthi isilinganiso sokuyi5.8% sabomama yibo bodwa abamunyisa ngemfanelo
BULAWAYO — Abezempilakahle bathi bayakhathazeka ngokwehla kwenani labesifazana elimunyisa insane okwenyanga eziyisithupha lingadli lutho beselimunyisa lihlanganisa lokunye ukudla umntwana aze abe leminyaka emibili besithi lokhu yikho okubangela ukuzaca okwedlulisileyo – imalnutrition, ebantwaneni okuyingozi enkulu. Ukucubungula okuqhutshwe yinhlanganiso yeZimbabwe Food and Nutrition Council nyakenye kuveza ukuthi phose isithupha ekhulwini – 5.8% labesifazana yilo lodwa elimunyisa abantwana ngendlela ekhuthazwa ngabezempilakahle. Abezempilakahle bathi nxa ukumunyisa kwenziwe ngendlela, kulakho ukwehlisa inani labantwana elifayo bengaphansi kweminyaka emihlanu ngetshumi lantathu ekhulwini – 13 %. Phezu kwalokhu, ukuwa kwenotho yelizwe sokwenze inengi labantwana laswela ukudla okwakha umzimba njalo inengi lihlala endaweni ezingela manzi ahlanzekileyo kumbe izambuzi eziqakathekiswa ngabezempilakahle. Enye njalo imbangela yokungakhuli kuhle kwabantwana linani eliphansi labesifazana elithola imithi eliyidingayo egoqela amavitamin lama iron supplements aqakathekileyo lapho bezithwele. UNkosikazi Siphethokuhle Dungeni, ongumama osekhulile, uthi inengi labomama lamhla lanxa likubona ukuqakatheka kokumunyisa, isikhathi lomumo wenotho wenza kubenzima ukuthi likulandele ngemfanelo. Uthi ukumunyisa okugcweleyo sekwabaliphupho kunengi labesifazana ngoba badinga ukusebenza ukuze bagcine imuli zabo. Wengeze esithi inotho yelize isami kuhle inengi labomama lalinikwa isikhathi emsebenzini sokuyamunyisa kodwa lamhla abesifazana abanengi bayazisebenza okwenza batshone bengekho endlini ngapha lemali isilela eyokuthenga ukudla okwakha umzimba. Ingcwethi kwezokucubungula ukuhlalisana kukazulu, uMnumzana Silas Mangena, uthi ukubhidlika kwenotho yelizwe kanye lendlala eseyangena kuzulu yikho osokubangele ukuthi abantwana baswele ukudla okwakha umzimba. Uthi ukusilela kwemali kwenza abazali bakhangelel ompuphu labotshukela bakhohlwe ukuthi abantwana badinga ukudla okutshiyeneyo kulalokhu okudingwa ngabadala. Uqhubeke esithi inengi labantwana selingenwa yimikhuhlane lula nje ngenxa yokungaqini kwemizimba. UNkosazana Getrude Phiri, osebenza labantwana, uthi impilo yalamhla itsho ukuthi abantu abaqhatshiweyo bathembe labo ababasebenzelayo ukubagcinela abantwababo. Uthi lokhu kwenza kubenzima ikakhulu nxa owesifazana elomntwana olegcikwane odinga ukuphathwa ngonanzelelo njalo ngokuhlanzeka okukhulu okwenza inengi lihle likhethe ukuhle lekele ukumunyisa. UPhiri wengeze esithi kwephula inhliziyo ukubona ukuthi inengi labomama kuleli seliqalisa ukunika abantwana ukudla belenyanga eyodwa nje lanxa bexwayiswa ukuma okwenyanga eziyisithupha bemunyisa kuphela anduba bahlanganise lokudla umntwana aze abe leminyaka emibili. Uthi ukuba lengculaza kumbe ukusebenza, akutsho ukuthi abesifazana bangamunyisi kodwa kumele bazame indlela zonke abangazithola ukuze bamunyise ngoba lesi isikhathi siqakathekile ekubumbeni ubudlelwano phakathi kukamama lengane. Lanxa nje, ngeminyaka esanda kudlula abesifazana abalengculaza bebekhuthazwa ukumunyisa inyanga eziyisithupha kuphela lokhu sokuguquliwe kulandela uhlelo lwe Option B Plus lokuqeda ukuthelelwa kwabantwana igcikwane leli ngonina. Ngaphansi kohlelo lolu, abesifazana sebekhuthazwa ukumunyisa okweminyaka emibili ngoba bona kanye lensane zabo bayabe bethola umuthi wokuvikela ukuthelelana igcikwane leli okwesikhathi sonke bemunyisa. Uhlangothi olukhangela abantwana kunhlanganiso yomanyano wamazwe iUnited Nations Children’s Fund, luthi impilakahle yabantwana kanye lekusasa yamazwe asathuthukayo isezandleni zabesifazana okumele banikwe amathuba eneleyo lamandla okuthatha izinqumo eziqakathekisa abantwababo. Ukwenza lokhu kulakho njalo ukuphungula imali esetshenziswa ekwelapheni abantwana abatshona begula njalonje kubangelwa yikungamunyi okugcweleyo.