m2m - Nosiphiwo Ntshanga

Nosiphiwo Ntshanga

National Trainer

As the Sister-in-Charge of Khayelitsha’s Site B Midwife/Obstetric Unit, Nosiphiwo Ntshanga has been closely linked to prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services since they were first rolled out. As a clinician, she witnessed the entrenched stigma preventing pregnant women and new mothers from talking openly about their condition. Standing by the belief that knowledge is power, Phiwo and her colleagues decided that support groups were the most effective means of reaching these women.

Through mothers2mothers, Phiwo educates newly diagnosed HIV-positive women. She gets much satisfaction from seeing them gain strength from the support they receive from other mothers. m2m’s support groups have grown in number and continue to develop new strategies that empower women emotionally and economically.

Phiwo is currently a national trainer with mothers2mothers. Her motto is “You teach the women, you teach the nation”. She has learned to use a computer, drive a car and use education as a tool to empower other women.

Phiwo holds a Diploma in Nursing Sciences and Arts from the Baragwanath Hospital School of Nursing in Johannesburg and a Diploma in Midwifery.

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"I never thought that I would see my child (who tested negative after nine months) growing up. Soon she will be a teenager and what a blessing! I call her my sunshine beam."

Site Coordinator and mother

At least 12 million children in sub-Saharan Africa have lost their parents or caregivers to AIDS-related illnesses. mothers2mothers provides the knowledge, support and hope required for preserving a mother's health so she can live to raise her child.

More than 95% of the mothers in our program are tested for HIV vs. a national average of 20%. Nearly all of them give birth to HIV-negative children.