NEW YORK, 03 April 2021 / PRN Africa / -- When I was diagnosed with diabetes in 2005, I didn't know how to deal with my condition, and there was no help readily available. I was in a coma for three days and, when I woke up, I told myself that I was going to learn everything there was to learn about this disease. Since then, nothing has stopped me from going the extra mile to fulfil my purpose: spreading my knowledge and helping other diabetic patients. Not even COVID-19.

In this time of economic crisis, we are also helping people with diabetes to improve their livelihoods. For example, I mobilized a group of women in my community to start a textile and handicraft business. I was lucky enough to successfully convince local textile companies to donate waste material to us, that we recycle to produce a lot of useful products that we then sell to the community, including facemasks, soaps and sanitizers.

And we have other plans to help unemployed young people to make a living: a branch of the association in Shiselweni, located in the south of the country, has embarked on a project to establish a vocational centre that will provide them with this skills they need.

We must create a stronger health system to meet the needs of people living with diabetes. There's a lot of work to do if we are to have a healthier future in Eswatini: we need to invest more in prevention, early diagnosis, screening, treatment, and rehabilitation.”

SOURCE UN News Centre