Nomsa addresses the nation ... and her voice is heard.

 

On Wednesday, July 16th we celebrated the Grand Opening of the El Rofi (Hebrew name for "The God who heals) Medical Centre on Project Canaan. We were hononred to welcome the His Majesty King Mswati's wife named Inkhosikati LaMbikiza as well as the Honorable Minister of Health, Minister of Employment and Social Security and many other high ranking officials of the country.  We felt that it was important to have a speech given by someone who is in need of healthcare, not just those providing healthcare, so we asked Nomsa if she would speak.

She was terrified, but she said yes.  And with much help to get the right clothes and hair to make her feel confident she appeared before the crowd.  She was tired and each sentence took a lot of energy to get her breath through her Tuberculosis filled lungs, but she delivered a message that brought everyone in the tent to tears and then they stood to their feet at the end with a standing ovation.  The link to her speech on Youtube is at the bottom of this blog, but it is very hard to hear her, so I have printed her speech below.  Please be sure to read on.

I greet you all in the name of Jesus Christ.  

My name is Gcebile Mabuza (some people know me as Nomsa) and I am a child of God.  I am HIV positive and I have XDR-TB or Extremely Drug Resistant TB. I met Janine on the side of the road on December 13^th, 2012 when I was being taken to the TB hospital in Moneni.  I had given birth to twin girls on November, 19^th and we were all starving to death in my homestead.  The Social Welfare Office made arrangements for my baby girls to go and live at the El Rofi Baby Home here on Project Canaan while I moved in to the National TB Hospital for the next 18 months.  In June of 2014 when my weight was down to 82 pounds Janine and Ian made a room for me here so that I could come and live with dignity as I continued treatment for my conditions.

I was asked to say a few words today at the opening of the El Rofi Medical Centre because of my medical status and because my daughters live here.  I am thereby qualified to speak to healthcare and childcare being provided by the Heart for Africa team.

 

I would like to take this opportunity of the opening of the El Rofi Medical Centre to greet Her Royal Highness, Inkhosikati LaMbikiza and thank you for coming to this important event.  I also humbly ask you to go and visit the National TB Hospital one day soon to encourage the patients who are suffering there and the nurses and Doctors who are serving at their own personal risk to help the people who are sick.  I personally watched 70% of the people die horrible deaths during my time as a patient there and I beg you as our Mother to help get additional care for those who are suffering.

I would like to take to thank the Honorable Minister of Health, Mrs. Simelane, for all that she is doing to help the people of Swaziland who are suffering with HIV, TB and other illnesses that are plaguing our Kingdom. 

I would like to thank the Deputy Prime Minister’s office and Deputy Director Mrs. Maziya for their support of the El Roi Baby Home here on Project Canaan. I believe that my twin girls, Rachel and Leah, sitting over there, would not be alive today if it weren’t for this home for babies in great need. 

Thank you to Nurse Brooke Sleeper and all who have supported the building of the El Rofi Medical Centre so that excellent medical care can be provided to the people of Project Canaan and the children who call this “home”.

Lastly I encourage all of the workers at Project Canaan to know your status.  Be tested for HIV and TB and if you test positive and are put on medication you must adhere to the treatment and commit to safe behavior. 

The greatest photo of this amazing woman.

It is not right that people from other countries must come and look after our children. We Swazi’s should be raising our own children, but because of choices that I was forced to make when I was young, due to the death of my mother and the poverty I was left in, I have had to pass on my duty as “mother” to Janine and the Aunties at the Children’s Campus. 

As I sit here today I give thanks to the Lord for His love and care for my daughters and me. I am praying for a miracle and that El Rofi, “the God who heals”, will heal my body perfectly so that I may one day be able to care for Rachel and Leah as their mother and give them hope in their heavenly Father. Until that day, I give thanks for Project Canaan and all who are serving the Lord here in this place.

Social Welfare officer who placed Nomsa's twin girls with us.

I have been reading the book of Job lately. The book of Job has been giving me strength.  Job’s children died and he was left with nothing, but he sill believed in His Lord.  The devil saw that he was still believing in the Lord.  He was very sick as I am, and I must stay strong as he did.

Thank you.

 

No, thank YOU Nomsa for your courage, your strength and your love.

Live from Swaziland ... she is my hero.

Janine 

Thank you Briana Spohr for recording this video and posting it - 

http://youtu.be/VnEZBzTXE8E,