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South Africa National Animals and Plants

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South Africa National Animals and Plants

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Different from other countries South Africa has multiple national animals and plants including:
Animals
- Springbok: small antelope that gets its common name from its characteristic jumping display, "pronk" in Afrikaans.
- Blue Crane: located across the country is a large bird about a meter tall, light blue-grey, with a long neck
- Galjoen: Is an almost completely black fish only found along the South African coast

Plants
- King Protea: widely distributed in the south-western and southern areas of the Western Cape
- Yellowwood Tree: found from Table Mountain, along the southern and eastern Cape coast

South Africa Tours and Travel. (2023). South African national symbols, national symbols of South Africa. South Africa Tours, Travel and Country Information Guide. https://www.south-africa-tours-and-travel.com/south-african-national-symbols.html

South Africa Tours and Travel. (2023). The Springbok antelope [Photograph]. South African national symbols include animals and plants. https://www.south-africa-tours-and-travel.com/south-african-national-symbols.html

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Interesting facts about my home country that makes me proud and passionate:
1. South Africa is home to the tallest animal in the world, the giraffe.

2. It is the largest meat producer in Africa.

3. Table Mountain is one of the oldest mountains on the planet.

4. South Africa’s lion, wildebeest, cheetah and springbok, are four of the seven fastest mammals on earth.

5. Rooibos/Redbush tea drank commonly in the population is naturally caffeine-free and is only found in the Cederberg, Western Cape.

Joe Kennedy. (2018). Table Mountain [Photograph]. AFK Travel. https://afktravel.com/94559/9-things-you-didnt-know-about-table-mountain/

The Fact File. (2023, May 15). 81 interesting facts about South Africa. https://thefactfile.org/south-africa-facts/

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Within South Africa, there are 11 official languages spoken. Including English, Afrikaans, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsongo, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. My family speaks English at home however in my home country when visiting extended family Afrikaans is spoken predominantly. Africa is a very diverse country and holds many language groups.

Stock. (2018). [Photograph]. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/speaking-two-languages-may-help-the-aging-brain/2018/12/07/f93489c8-f8b0-11e8-8d64-4e79db33382f_story.html

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Within my home country, Christianity was the largest religion. My family through generations has followed this religion. In South Africa my family used to go together every Sunday to church. During special occasions including Christmas, we all say prayers and respect our family members who have passed with love. In South Africa, it was recorded in 2023 that Christianity is the religion of nearly 80 percent of the people. Yet South Africa doesn't have a set religion and is open to any beliefs.

Africa: Prevalence of Christianity by country 2023. (2023, February 15). Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1239389/share-of-christian-population-in-africa-by-country/

Things of Think. (2013). Religions in the World [Photograph]. Thinks of Think. https://wardoyoardoauto.blogspot.com/2013/07/religions-in-world.html

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Within my family and my home country Rugby Union is the largest followed sport. The Springboks are the South African team that represents in the World Cup and were founded in 1891. The word Springbok comes from the animal in South Africa that is a medium-sized antelope. My family and I are very passionate about the game and team and brings the family together.

Newboult, C. (2022, June 27). Power a plenty in Springboks squad to face the lions. PlanetRugby. https://www.planetrugby.com/power-aplenty-in-springboks-46-man-squad-to-face-the-british-and-irish-lions

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Pup, Sous, and Boerewors (Wors) is a common meal put together that my family eats regularly. It isn't eaten for specific occasions it reminds us of our home country and that's why we enjoy it so much!
Pup is also known as South African porridge, it is made from mielie-meal which is a maize (corn) based flour.
Sous or sauce is put beside or on top of the pup and is a warm mix of cut-up tomatoes, onions, and spices.
Boerewors is also known as a sausage and needs to be at least 90% meat. However, it is cooked on a braai (also known as a flame-grilled BBQ)

Ingredients:

Pap recipe:

750ml water

500g maize (corn) meal

15ml olive oil

5ml salt

Sous (Sauce) recipe:

1 or 2 cans of chopped (diced) tomato

1 medium-sized onion, chopped

15 ml olive oil

30 ml Worcester sauce

your choice of spices or herbs – e.g. garlic, chilies, rosemary, pepper

maizena or any thickener of your choice if needed

South African Wors, pap and sous (Boerewors, pap and sauce) recipe. (2020, August 21). Biltong Blog | Making your own Biltong, Biltong Box, South African Recipes. https://www.biltongblog.com/south-african-boerewors-pap-sauce/

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Refugees can experience several health issues upon arrival to Australia. Some of these can include anemia or low iron levels, issues with mental health, and sexually transmitted infections. All of these issues are important to address and treat as soon as possible.

Anaemia/Low iron levels
Anaemia is defined as low blood haemoglobin concentration within the body. Refugees are predominantly seen with lower levels of iron in their blood which can be life-threatening. Treatment through this includes:
- offer of screenings and blood examination
- offer screening for iron deficiency with serum ferritin
- replace iron when anaemia is present
- educate the patient and community to have an iron-rich diet and to avoid a large dairy intake (mainly for children)
- also include screening for vitamin b12 deficiency

Mental Health
Many Refugees experience many types of trauma including conflict, violence, and separation from family to list some. Helping those with mental health issues or dealing with trauma is very important for the well-being of a person.
Treatment through this includes:
- Assessment of emotional well-being and mental health
- make sure access to social connections, resources, and support is available
- trauma screening
- self-harm/suicide assessment

Sexually Transmitted Infections
STIs can be common in the Refugee community due to many factors including, not being educated enough on the subject. STIs can be life-threatening and can lead to multi-organ damage, congenital effects, and even infertility if not treated early.
Treatment includes:
- screening of STIs including swabs and first-pass urine sample
- when STI is identified treat accordingly including medication
- offer pregnancy tests and contraception to women and those with a cervix
- Educate on STIs, safer sex, and condom use

Aesen Thambiran, Mitchell Smith, Vanessa Clifford. (2023). Sexually transmissible infections (STIs) Australian refugee health. Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide. https://refugeehealthguide.org.au/sexually-transmissible-infections-stis/

Gillian Singleton, Debbie Hocking, Joanne Gardiner, Georgia Paxton. (2023). Mental health Australian refugee health. Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide. https://refugeehealthguide.org.au/mental-health/

Nadia Chaves, Georgia Paxton. (2023). Anaemia, iron deficiency, and other blood conditions » Australian refugee health. Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide. https://refugeehealthguide.org.au/anaemia-iron-deficiency-and-other-blood-conditions/

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Social determinants can have a major impact on Refugees and Immigrants. Three social determinants that can negatively affect Refugees in Australia majorly include income and social protection, housing, basic amenities and environment, social inclusion, and non-discrimination.
Income and social protection
With no sort of income or social protection for Refugees seeking asylum in Australia, it can take a large toll on their health.
Refugees often leave all their possessions including important documents, money, material goods, and their whole life in the country they left. Because of this. income is a particularly strong determinant of health and impacts common mental health disorders for all ages. This can affect the well-being and future of these people.

Housing, basic amenities, and environment
Refugees tend to be resettled into poor-quality housing, and experience overcrowding. Because of this the "lower the socioeconomic position, the worse the health." This causes more negative impacts on both mental and physical health, as they have been detached from their home country and stay with groups of people leading to a higher risk of illness and disease.

Social Inclusion and non - non-discrimination
When Refugees feel welcomed it has an impact on their mental health and well-being. Feeling accepted and comforted in a country significantly impacts mood disorders among communities. When the opposite of this occurs, you can see an increase in mental health issues as they don't feel welcome or accepted.

Hynie M. (2018). The Social Determinants of Refugee Mental Health in the Post-Migration Context: A Critical Review. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 297-303. doi:10.1177/070674371774666

Middle East Monitor. (2020). Iraqi refugees are seen after arriving to Al Qayyarah town in Iraq on 18 October 2016 [Feriq Fereç /Anadolu Agency] [Photograph]. Middle East Monitor. https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200911-at-least-37m-people-made-refugees-by-us-war-on-terror/

World Health Organization. (2019, May 30). Social determinants of health. World Health Organization (WHO). https://www.who.int/health-topics/social-determinants-of-health#tab=tab_1

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Reflecting on Domain 7 and the competency standards, I have learned a lot and how this can be applied in my nursing career.
One of the competency standards discusses cultural responsiveness, reflexivity, and self-awareness within any practice, in this case, nursing. I've found that being aware of people's cultural beliefs specifically immigrants and refugees and showing respect is very important when communicating to patients. I now have more understanding that it is important to acknowledge and discuss people's culture and to help the patient keep their values and beliefs in mind. When doing so and minimising culturally insensitive practice, there is a positive outcome for the mental and emotional well-being of the patient. With this information, I feel I am more capable of providing a safe environment for the patient to discuss their health and be open to talk and express their culture with no judgment.

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To me, the definition of health means a person's well-being as a whole and isn't just about sickness or diseases. It includes both the physical and mental aspects of someone's life. From the way they eat, sleep, and exercise to looking after their mental health and physical well-being.

Species Universe. (2022). Health [Picture]. Species Universe. https://speciesuniverse.com/tag/health/