Wellness on the job

Patience Mbuma and employees of Rainbow Civils CC
Patience Mbuma and employees of Rainbow Civils CC
Patience Mbuma and employees of Rainbow Civils CC

Road construction company, Rainbow Civils has identified the importance of investing in the health and wellness of its employees.

OurHealth recently visited the company and interviewed employers and employees.

Rainbow Civils is based in Cape Town, but has an operation in Victoria West where is has been completing contracts which involve repairing pipes and roads.

The company teamed up with SANRAL (South African National Roads Agency Limited) and trained peer educators, referred to as Wellness Champions.

“Health is a subject that doesn’t know race, gender, culture, age or status, but it affects anyone at anytime and in any place, even in the workplace, which is why it is necessary for everyone to raise awareness,” says Wellness Champion Patience Mbuma.

Topics discussed include HIV/AIDS, medical male circumcision, Tuberculosis, and condom usage and distribution.

Piet Andrews, an employee adds: “We learn a lot from this programme, especially regarding HIV/AIDS. I was not at work the day they did the HIV/AIDS tests, but I will do it the next time they test again.”

Hendrik Tellis, a health and safety representative says he was changed by the programme: “I go and implement everything I learn from the programme at home, with my family and children.”

Employee, Andrew Ruiters describes the programme as “very good, because I have seen during the condom awareness discussions that even grown men like me didn’t know how to put on a condom the correct way. There are a lot of grown people working here that are not that educated.”

Other issues addressed as part of the programme includes abuse, foetal alcohol syndrome as well as drug and alcohol abuse.

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