Need
Embo residents suffering from HIV or Aids are stigmatised, so often do not wish to be tested. Also, they are poor and cannot travel out of Embo to a clinic. And without testing, there can be no treatment. Without access to antiretrovirals, which are freely available, the person will deteriorate more rapidly and have a worse quality of life.
Solution
By being part of the local community, the Caregivers that MAI fund can identify potential patients, visit and provide testing and counselling (for which they have been trained on the Government programme). Then, they establish a regime that involves unconditional love, practical care (bathing, administering treatments, transporting to appointments, etc) and advice (sexual health, diet, hygiene & state social benefits). This enables the patient to have a better quality of life for longer.
Aims
To bring hope and dignity to HIV positive individuals and their families and the wider community.
Activities
» Providing a locally accessible testing and counselling service.
» Serving a client base of 300+ with unconditional love, practical care and specialist advice.
» Hosting a mobile Government Health Clinic every two weeks in the community.
Success will be... Measured by the views expressed by the community and the official statistics on HIV incidence. Alread, the KZN Health Authority & Zulu Chief are fully suportive.
To test the value of a church based community HIV/Aids Care programme as a model for others.
Activities
» Regular review and evaluation of outcomes.
Success will be... A completed set of guidelines on good practice on the care of HIV/Aids patients and their families in their own homes.
To educate the community about HIV/Aids and its prevention.
Activities
» Both in individual homes and local schools, to provide advice, either informally or through seminars, on sexual health.
Success will be... Measured by the number of sessions completed and the official measure of HIV incidence.
To become self sustaining ultimately by developing an indigenous income generation project
Activities
» By the end of 2011, to have researched and selected a business plan that within 3 years will fully fund the healthcare project locally
Success will be... The project 100% funded from KwaZulu Natal through a viable business programme
Impact
A significant lowering of the prevalence of HIV/Aids and a lessening of the stigma attached measured by a higher incidence of testing. Improved quality and longevity of life for those who are HIV positive.
Risk
Home Cargivers are susceptible to infection. MAI funds consumables to lessen this risk. The exchange rate of GBP to ZAR is variable. We seek to address this by seeking to hold reserve funds though this is not always attainable.
Reporting
Donors may choose to receive E News updates (approximately monthly) or a termly briefing sheet. In additon, MAI can provide detailed reports for specific donations where requested.
Budget - Project Cost: £72,970
| |
Amount |
Heading |
Description |
| |
£42,840 |
Caregiver salaries |
July 2011 to June 2013 |
| |
£15,140 |
Supervisor salary |
Same period |
| |
£7,850 |
Consumables |
Medical kits, gloves, etc same period |
| |
£7,140 |
Transport cost |
Fuel and maintenance of vehicle |
Current Funding / Pledges
| Source |
Amount |
|
| Individual donors |
£36,672 |
Conditional |
| Voluntary groups |
£6,600 |
Conditional |
| Trust/foundation grants |
£11,000 |
Conditional |
Location
Embo is in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. It is about 40 minutes drive north of Durban. It is an "informal settlement" of mostly makeshift dwellings with poor sanitary and power conditions.
Beneficiaries
The community comprises poor, largely unemployed persons. The age profile is young and there is a high burden on the community of Aids orphans. Many HIV positive persons are cared for by elderly "grannys" on social benefits. In a population of 62,000, there is no health clinic. The young church that began this volunteer programme initially now hosts a mobile healthcare clinic as well as being an orphanage, benefits payments centre and feeding station to the community.
Why Us?
Our raison d'etre is to enable indigenous persons of vision and integirty to provide excellent healthcare. We have built a relationship of trust through mutual exchange visits with this indigenous church community and personally expereinced the quality of thier work and what it means in the community.
Read more about the Charity running this project.
People
Pastor Leonard Gcabashe
He began this work personally to the point of personal exhaustion. He is the visionary and motivator who recruited a team to take it over.
Nurse Joyce Mkhize
She is an experienced, qualified nurse who supervises the team of Caregivers and is the official liaison person recognised by the Health Authority.
The Home Caregivers
These full time Home Caregivers are highly motivated and trained on the official Government approved testing and counselling programme.
