Izingane—Amagugu Noma Imithwalo?

INDABA yokuhlelwa kwemindeni ihlobene eduze nalokho ngokuvamile okuthiwa ukwanda kwabantu okungalawuleki. Kuwo wonke umlando wesintu, ukwanda kwabantu kwakwenzeka kancane ngokuqhathaniswa; inani lababefa lalicishe lilingane nenani lababezalwa. Ekugcineni, cishe ngonyaka ka-1830, umphakathi womhlaba wafinyelela kubantu abayizigidi eziyinkulungwane.

Kwabe sekuvela intuthuko yezokwelapha neyezesayensi eyenza ukuba babembalwa abantu ababulawa yizifo, ikakhulukazi izifo eziphatha izingane. Cishe ngo-1930, umphakathi womhlaba wenyukela kubantu abayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili. Ngo-1960, kwase kwenezelwe ezinye izigidi eziyinkulungwane. Ngo-1975, kwanezelwa ezinye futhi izigidi eziyinkulungwane. Ngo-1987, umphakathi womhlaba wafinyelela izigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezinhlanu.

Uma sibheka lesimo ngenye indlela, inani labantu kuleplanethi okwamanje landa ngabantu abangaba ngu-170 umzuzu ngamunye. Lokho kwenezela abantu abafinyelela ku-250 000 nsuku zonke, abanele ukwenza idolobha elikhulu. Futhi, lokhu kusho ukuthi unyaka ngamunye uletha ukwanda komphakathi ngabantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-90, okuyinani elilingana nomphakathi waseCanada uphindwe kathathu noma elilingana nomphakathi waseMexico. Amaphesenti angaphezu kuka-90 alokhu kwanda enzeka emazweni asathuthuka, lapho amaphesenti angu-75 omphakathi womhlaba ehlala khona kakade.

Ohulumeni Abakhathazekile

Kodwa kungani ohulumeni befisa ukulinganisela ukwanda komphakathi ngokuhlelwa komndeni? UDkt. Babs Sagoe, oyiSikhulu se-Nigeria National Program ye-UN Population Fund, uphendula lombuzo ngomfanekiso olula, axwayisa ngokuthi uvame ukwenza isimo esiyinkimbinkimbi nesiyimpikiswano sibe lula ngokweqile. Uyachaza:

‘Ake sithi umlimi ungumnikazi wendawo [engamahekthare amane] Uma enezingane eziyishumi futhi ezihlukanisela phakathi lendawo ngokulinganayo, ingane ngayinye izothola [cishe ingxenye yehekthare]. Uma ngamunye walezozingane enezingane eziyishumi futhi ehlukanisa lendawo ngendlela efanayo, ngamunye wezingane zabo uzoba [nehekthare elingu-0,04] kuphela. Ngokusobala, lezingane ngeke zibe sesimweni esihle njengomkhulu wazo, owayenendawo [engamahekthare amane].’

Lomfanekiso uqokomisa ubuhlobo phakathi kwenani elandayo labantu nomhlaba ongakhuli onamandla engcebo alinganiselwe. Njengoba umphakathi wanda, amazwe amaningi asathuthuka alwa kanzima ukuze abhekane namanani abantu esikhathi samanje. Cabangela ezinye zalezinkinga.

Amandla Engcebo. Njengoba inani labantu landa, kunesidingo esikhulu samahlathi, inhlabathi evundile, indawo yokulima, namanzi ahlanzekile. Uba yini umphumela? Umagazini i-Populi uyadabuka: “Amazwe asathuthuka . . . ngokuvamile aphoqelekile ukuba asebenzise ngokweqile amandla engcebo esizwe lapho intuthuko yawo yangesikhathi esizayo ixhomeke khona.”

Inqala-sizinda. Njengoba inani labantu landa, ohulumeni bakuthola kunzima ngokwandayo ukulungiselela izindlu, izikole, izinkonzo zokukhuculula indle, imigwaqo, nezinkonzo zempilo okwanele. Esindwa umthwalo ophindwe kabili wezikweleti ezisindayo namandla engcebo anciphayo, amazwe asathuthuka athwele kanzima ukuze abhekane nezidingo zemiphakathi yamanje, ingasaphathwa emikhulu kakhulu.

Umsebenzi. Incwadi ye-UN i-Population Fund ethi Population and the Environment: The Challenges Ahead iphawula ukuthi emazweni amaningi asathuthuka, amaphesenti angu-40 ezisebenzi antula umsebenzi kakade. Kuwo wonke amazwe asathuthuka, abantu abangaphezu kwengxenye yezigidi eziyinkulungwane bantula imisebenzi noma benza imisebenzi yesikhashana, isilinganiso esicishe silingane nezisebenzi zizonke emazweni athuthukile.

Ukuze kuvinjelwe lamanani ukuba angabi mabi kakhulu, amazwe asathuthuka kumelwe avule amathuba emisebenzi emisha angaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-30 minyaka yonke. Abantu abayodinga lemisebenzi bayaphila namuhla—bayizingane zanamuhla. Ochwepheshe balinganisela ukuthi ukuswelakala okukhulu kwemisebenzi kungase kuholele ezimpini zombango, ubumpofu obandayo, nokubhujiswa ngokwengeziwe kwamandla engcebo angokwemvelo.

Akumangalisi ukuthi amazwe amaningi asathuthuka alwela ukukhuthaza ukuhlelwa komndeni. Sikhulumela lokho okusengaphambili, isihloko somhleli wephephabhuku lezokwelapha laseBrithani i-Lancet saphawula: “Ukucindezela kokwanda kwezibalo [zabantu], okugcwele ikakhulukazi emazweni ampofu omhlaba, kwandisa kakhulu umthwalo abhekene nawo. . . . Izigidi ziyochitha ukuphila kwazo zingafundile, zintula imisebenzi, zingenazo izindlu ezifanele futhi zingatholi ukunakekelwa okuyisisekelo kwezempilo, izinkonzo zenhlalakahle nezokukhucululwa kwendle, futhi ukwanda komphakathi okungavinjelwe kuyisici esiyinhloko esiyimbangela yalokhu.”

Imikhaya Ekhathazekile

Ukuzibekela imigomo nokumisa izinhlelo zokuhlelwa kwemindeni ezweni kabanzi kungenye into; ukuqinisekisa umphakathi ngakho kungenye. Emiphakathini eminingi imibono engokwesiko yokuthanda imikhaya emikhulu isenamandla. Ngokwesibonelo, umama othile waseNigeria wasabela esikhuthazweni sikahulumeni sokunciphisa amazinga okuzala ngokuthi: “Nginguthunjana ezinganeni zikababa ezingu-26. Bonke engibelamayo, kuhlanganise abesilisa nabesifazane, banezingane eziphakathi kweziyisishiyagalombili nezingu-12. Pho-ke, mina kumelwe ngibe nezingane ezimbalwa?”

Nokho, umbono onjalo awusavamile njengoba kwakunjalo, ngisho naseNigeria, lapho owesifazane ovamile ezala khona izingane eziyisithupha. Njengoba zibhekene namanani akhulayo, izigidi zabantu zithwele kanzima ukuze zondle futhi zigqokise imikhaya yazo. Abaningi baye balifunda kokuhlangenwe nakho iqiniso lesaga sesiYoruba esithi: “Ọmọ bẹẹrẹ, òṣì bẹẹrẹ” (ubhuzane lwezingane, ikati lilala eziko).

Imibhangqwana eminingi iyaziqonda izinzuzo zokuhlelwa kwemindeni, kodwa ayikwenzi. Uba yini umphumela? I-State of the World’s Children 1992, eyakhishwa i-United Nations Children’s Fund, yathi cishe ukukhulelwa okukodwa kokuthathu emazweni asathuthuka phakathi nonyaka akunakuba nje okungahleliwe kodwa okungafunwa.

Ukuhlela Imindeni Kusindisa Ukuphila

Ngaphandle kwezinkinga zomnotho, isizathu esiyinhloko sokucabangela ukuhlela umndeni impilo kamama nezingane zakhe. “Ukukhulelwa kuwukugembula futhi ukuzala kuwumshikashika wokuphila nokufa,” kusho isaga saseNtshonalanga Afrika. Minyaka yonke emazweni asathuthuka, abesifazane abayingxenye yesigidi bayafa ngesikhathi sokukhulelwa noma sokubeletha umntwana, izingane eziyisigidi zishiywa zingenabo omama, futhi izigidi ezinhlanu kuya kweziyisikhombisa zabesifazane abengeziwe ziyakhubazeka ngenxa yokulimala okungokwempilo okuhlobene nokubeletha.

Akubona bonke abesifazane emazweni asathuthuka abasengozini efanayo. Njengoba ibhokisi elihambisana nalesihloko libonisa, labo abasengozini enkulu abesifazane abazala izingane eziningi kakhulu besebancane kakhulu, ngokuphindaphindiwe, noma sebebadala kakhulu. Imithombo ye-UN ilinganisela ukuthi ukuhlela umndeni kungavimbela ingxenye eyodwa kwezine kuya engxenyeni eyodwa kwezintathu zalezingozi futhi kungavimbela izigidi zokukhubazeka.

Kodwa ingabe ukusindiswa kwezigidi zokuphila bekungeke yini kumane kubangele ukwanda kokukhula kwenani labantu? Ngokumangalisayo, izazi eziningi zithi akunjalo. I-Human Development Report ka-1991 ithi: “Kungase kucatshangwe ukuthi uma izingane eziningi ziphila, izinkinga zokwanda kwenani labantu ziyoba zimbi kakhulu. Ngokuphambane kakhulu. Ukuzala kuthambekele ekuncipheni lapho abazali beqiniseka kakhulu ukuthi izingane zabo zizophila.”

Nokho, izigidi zabesifazane, ikakhulukazi emiphakathini empofu, ziyaqhubeka zizala ngokuphindaphindiwe. Kungani? Ngoba umphakathi wazo ulindele ukuba zenze kanjalo, ngenxa yokuthi ukuba nezingane eziningi kwandisa amathuba okuthi ezinye ziyophila, nangenxa yokuthi zingase zingazi lutho noma zingakwazi ukufinyelela izinkonzo zokuhlelwa kwemindeni.

Nokho, abesifazane abaningi abanemikhaya emikhulu babengenakwenza nganoma iyiphi enye indlela. Babheka ingane ngayinye njengesibusiso esivela kuNkulunkulu.

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Ukukhulelwa Okuyingozi Emazweni Asathuthuka

Lapho Umuntu Esemncane Kakhulu: Ingozi yokufa ngesikhathi sokukhulelwa nokubeletha phakathi kwabesifazane abasukela eminyakeni engu-15 kuya kwengu-19 ubudala inkulu ngokuphindwe kathathu kunaleyo ekhona phakathi kwabesifazane abaneminyaka engu-20 kuya kwengu-24 ubudala. Abantwana abazalwa abesifazane abeve eshumini nambili leminyaka kunokwenzeka kakhulu ukuba bafe, bazalwe ngaphambi kwesikhathi kakhulu, noma babe nesisindo esiphansi kakhulu lapho bezalwa.

Ukulamanisa Eduze: Ubude besikhathi sokulamanisa bukuthinta kakhulu ukuphila kwengane. Ingane elama enye ngeminyaka engaphansi kwemibili inamathuba amakhulu angamaphesenti angu-66 okufa isewusana. Uma lezingane ziphila, ngokunokwenzeka kakhulu ukukhula kwazo kungaphazamiseka futhi ukukhula kwengqondo yazo kukhubazeke. Cishe ukufa kosana olulodwa kwezinhlanu kungavinjelwa ngokulamanisa okufanelekile. Ukushiyanisa iminyaka emithathu noma ngaphezulu phakathi kwezingane ezizalwayo kunciphisa izingozi.

Eziningi Kakhulu: Ukuzala izingane ezingaphezu kwezine kwandisa izingozi zokukhulelwa nezokubeletha, ikakhulukazi uma izingane ezingaphambili zingazange zilanyaniswe ngeminyaka engaphezu kwemibili. Ngemva kokukhulelwa izikhathi ezine, kunokwenzeka kakhulu ukuba omama baphathwe i-anemia futhi bavame kakhulu ukopha, futhi izingane zabo zisengozini enkulu yokuzalwa zikhubazekile.

Sekwephuze Kakhulu: Abesifazane abangaphezu kweminyaka engu-35 ubudala kunokwenzeka kakhulu ukuba bafe izikhathi eziphindwe kahlanu phakathi nesikhathi sokukhulelwa noma sokuzala kunabesifazane abasukela eminyakeni engu-20 kuya kwengu-24 ubudala. Izingane ezizalwa abesifazane asebekhulile nazo kunokwenzeka kakhulu ukuba zife.

Imithombo: I-World Health Organization, I-UN Children’s Fund, ne-UN Population Fund.