Health and Wellness unit recently partnered with GEMS in hosting a wellness programme focusing on education on HIV, GEMS member servicing, health screening and a candle light memorial in remembrance of brothers and sisters who passed on due to HIV and AIDS.

Attended by departmental staff members, this on-going event was also aimed at encouraging healthy lifestyle among employees.

When Nomantande Platana, Assistant director for Wellness, unpacked the 2017  theme of HIV/AIDS as “Building tomorrow’s leaders today”, she highlighted the significance of candle light as a sign of encouraging individuals to be the light wherever they are and to eradicate the HIV/AIDS infection.

“We light the candle to give hope that one day there will be a cure for this disease, hope that anyone infected to stay strong, hope that discrimination against HIV positive employees at our workplace will end, hope that child headed families due to HIV/AIDS will end, hope that there will be no more orphans due to HIV /AIDS, hope that there will be no new infections,” said Platana.

Commenting on the event, Vathiswa Mbono from the Finance Management section said “These events are good for us as employees because they keep us informed about the activities that are happening in our societies. The screening assists us on what to eat and what not to, it is each and every person’s responsibility to know their HIV status and also be more informed about medical aid benefits “

Director for Employee Health and Wellness, Lulama Matu, said ”We care about the health and wellness of employees and we care about a department that is productive and progressive, so we say the department cannot achieve its goals if the employees are not healthy”.

As part of the continuous internal employee engagement programmes, Wellness will be hosting a financial planning event at the department’s canteen, on the 26th of May 2017, where they will be teaching employees about financial management.

By: Chumisa Vimbani and Nasiphi Dingiswayo