Atlegang Makgoba
Despite a lot of different beliefs in the community regarding donating blood, Bafana Manana took it upon himself to speak out and encourage others to donate blood.
He even inspired young Express journalism intern Atlegang Makgoba to donate blood in Kempton Park last week.
According to research done by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in developing countries, many people die because safe blood is not available even in some urban healthcare facilities.
“I recently read an article about a woman who died in Ukraine because there was no stock of her blood type. She was injured because of the conflict,” said Manana.
Manana mentioned that it was sad to see people lose their lives while there is something that could have been done to prevent it.
“I realised that there are a lot of people who do not donate blood and at the same time they are sitting there with potentially safe blood that could help save a life,” said Manana.
He said blood donation is not as bad as people make it seem to be.
“A lot of people believe it’s bad luck to donate your blood and I know how scary it can be, but the cause is far greater than the purpose. The pain is not as bad as it seems and the nurses are very friendly,” he said.
He also encouraged people, young and old, to make a difference in other people's lives by donating blood regularly to ensure that no one loses their life over something that could have been easily resolved.
“I encourage young people to participate in donating blood regularly. Not only are you saving other people in need, but you are also aiding your own health as there are several health benefits for yourself,” said Manana.
