“Healthy habits don’t require a big budget,” said Sister Magda Marero, a professional nurse and clinical programme coordinator in the Langeberg sub-district. Addressing farmworkers at Food For Mzansi and Health For Mzansi’s Agricultural Workers Day, she emphasised that preventative healthcare is key to long-term well-being.
“It becomes expensive when we rely on medical care and pills,” explained Marero. “One can survive with little money, but poor health makes things difficult. Money can bring temporary relief, but it cannot prevent illness and death.”
In her talk at the Robertson town hall, Marero addressed the prevalence of “burdens of disease” among farmworkers in the area, highlighting a rise in conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, HIV/Aids, and tuberculosis.
“To live a healthy lifestyle, we need to make smart behavioural choices,” said Marero, referencing the Western Cape department of health’s WesternCape on Wellness (WOW!) initiative. “Physical activity can be fun and healthy. I encourage you to begin walking as a first step.”
Safe handling and disposal of pesticides
At the combined Food For Mzansi and Health For Mzansi event, which drew workers from nine farms, the discussion also addressed responsible pesticide usage and the importance of wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect one’s health.
CropLife South Africa’s operations and stewardship manager, Dr Gerhard Verdoorn, told workers, “The most dangerous pesticide to work with is the one where you don’t wear your PPE. While it is your right to have PPE when working with pesticides, it is also your responsibility to wear it.”
Verdoorn then practically demonstrated the correct way to wear PPE to minimise exposure to the hazards that could cause serious workplace injuries, illnesses, and even death.
“The PPE makes a huge difference to protect body parts where a pesticide can easily enter, like your eyes, skin, nose, mouth, feet, hands, and head.”
Workers were also taught to manage pesticide waste through the triple-rinse method. “You have to rinse empty pesticide containers three times to reduce the risk to human beings, animals, and the environment.”
Important to note, the triple-rinse method doesn’t mean these containers are safe for reuse, like storing cooking oil.
As Verdoorn explained, after rinsing, the containers must be rendered unusable by puncturing or cutting them. Ideally, instead of throwing them away, they should be taken to a CropLife SA-approved recycling facility.
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Expanding hospice care beyond end-of-life support
Meanwhile, Priscilla Brown, resource development manager at Breede River Hospice, addressed the misconception that hospices solely assist people nearing death. She explained that hospice care can significantly improve anyone’s quality of life.
“The misconception that hospices are solely for the terminally ill is a challenge we face. We’re palliative care professionals, and our focus extends beyond just end-of-life care.
“We provide services and support throughout the community, aiming to improve the quality of life for all our patients and families,” said Brown.
Breede River Hospice collaborates with the department of health to oversee a team of community health care workers.
These workers conduct daily visits to households, providing essential services such as TB and HIV screening, mental health assessments, antenatal care including screening, advice, and education, new-born baby checks encompassing immunisation and developmental monitoring, as well as ensuring chronic patients receive proper medication management.
Understanding your vote
The Agricultural Workers Day in Robertson was held in collaboration with the Robertson Agricultural Society and featured a diverse programme, including a discussion on the significance of democracy in light of the upcoming elections on Wednesday, 29 May 2024.
Henrico Frederikse, municipal outreach coordinator for the Independent Electoral Commission in the Breede Valley, informed workers that on election day, voters would receive three different types of ballot papers for the first time.
These include the national ballot for parties competing for seats in the National Assembly, the province-to-national ballot for selecting provincial representatives, and the provincial ballots for electing members of provincial legislatures. The National Assembly consists of 400 seats, divided into 200 seats for the national ballot and 200 seats for the regional or province-to-national ballot.
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