Graduation Ceremony for Khuphuka staff
The Khuphuka staff was presented with a Certificate in Community Outreach by the Mayor of Kwa Sani Municipality Mr. Mdu Banda after participating in an intensive one month training which covered a wide variety of issues including home based care skills, HIV and AIDS awareness and information giving, HIV and AIDS counselling skills, ARV literacy, nutrition and positive living. Sincere thanks to the many people who gave their time freely to deliver the essential training including Sister Abigail Ntleko, members of the Woza Moya Project team, Dr. Kalay Moodley and Thanissara.
The
Khuphuka Project is committed to ongoing training and development of
their staff to ensure quality of service to the community of
uMqatsheni. In line with this objective our paralegal worker will begin
a six month (one day a week) internship with the highly respected human
rights organization Black Sash at the end of May to enhance her
knowledge and skills in information and advocacy work. For more
information on Black Sash work log onto www.blacksash.org.za
Khuphuka Project Attend 4th South Africa AIDS Conference
Members
of the Khuphuka staff won scholarships to attend the 4th South Africa
AIDS Conference in Durban in April. This conference, instigated in 2002
following the highly acclaimed World AIDS conference in 2000, has
become an important regional think tank and networking opportunity.
This
gave the opportunity to bring Khuphuka staff completely up to date on
all aspects of HIV and AIDS including effective preventative and
treatment strategies, best practice models of care and supports for
people living with HIV and innovative ideas for HIV awareness raising
in local communities. For further information on the conference log
onto www.saaids.com
Khuphuka Staff Begin Work on the Ground
We
have now begun our work on the ground and are reaching the most
vulnerable people in the uMqatsheni area. Our nine Community Care
Workers are now visiting over 135 of the most vulnerable households in
the area on a weekly basis, offering home based care, counselling,
advice and support. An initial assessment of our contact with these
households reveal that 20% of households are openly HIV but not all are
on treatment and that there are persons in other households with all
the visible signs of HIV but are in denial. TB is also common and a
cause for concern. Another alarming revelation is that there are over
65 children who are orphaned and in a vulnerable situation. A lack of
food security exists in most households so there is a clear need for
temporary food parcels.
Our community care co-ordinator
is busily making referrals to the appropriate local agencies and
transporting people to the local clinic or hospital where transport
fees are an issue as the nearest clinic is 45 minutes drive away from
the community. It is a very positive sign however to see some people
open about their status as this will encourage other people to know
their status and get the treatment they are entitled to. There was
great interest in the establishment of a People Living with HIV / AIDS
support group in the area and the first support group took place on
Saturday May 16th with 20 people attending from the community.
Our
paralegal worker is fast identifying people in need of documentation
and social grants and has already held nine paralegal clinics within
the community. Common presenting issues included people needing help in
obtaining birth certificates and identity cards from Department of Home
Affairs and information on how to apply for child support grant, foster
care grant and disability grants or people experiencing an excessive
delay in their application for such grants. There were many people who
did not have an entitlement to a grant but were living alone with no
income and relying on food donations from their neighbours. Our
paralegal worker will be assisting these people in applying for Social
Relief of Distress which is a temporary grant in order to alleviate
poverty and suffering. One shocking common thread in mos t cases is
that people in the community of uMqatsheni are living well below the
poverty line in an area of high unemployment.
Our youth
worker has forged strong links with the principals of the two local
schools and has already started workshops in both schools this week
exploring issues around HIV and AIDS. He will be soon recruiting and
training volunteer youth leaders in each of the nine tribal wards to
ensure activities with young people in particular young men are taking
place on a regular basis.
Needs Assessment of the community of uMqatsheni
The
Khuphuka Project has begun an extensive assessment of the needs and
strengths of the community of uMqatsheni, with support from the
University of Kwa Zulu Natal. Our youth worker is busily conducting
semi structured interviews with key players in the different tribal
wards and key service providers for the area. During the month of June
there will be meetings held in each of the nine tribal wards where all
the community will be invited so that we can hear first-hand what the
needs are. Meetings will be structured in a way to ensure maximum
participation from all sections of the community. The results of this
work will guide our work over the next three years and we aim to have a
report available by the end of July which will be made available to all
interested parties.
Urgent Fundraising Appeal
The
Khuphuka Project began its work on 20th April and we are based
temporarily in the container of the tribal court until the community
centre is built. This container has no doors, electricity, water or
telephone. We have been granted a beautiful plot of land by the tribal
council upon which we will be building the Khuphuka Community Outreach
Centre. This will allow us to co-ordinate our services from an office,
provide support groups, education, public meetings, training, HIV
testing, counselling, youth groups and income generating projects. We
aim to move to the land next month and erect a rondavel (low cost
traditional Zulu building) as a temporary presence on the land until
the centre is built.
We need to raise about $100,000
to fully complete the building project. This can seem like an
insurmountable amount unless you break it down into bite sized chunks!
Last month two friends of ours in Ireland raised almost $1000 by
organising a school fundraiser. 99 more similar fundraisers will build
our centre! If we break this down and all of us aim to raise a little
money, no matter how much, we will raise the money we need to build the
centre for the people of uMqatsheni. We can do it! Be it a coffee
morning, sponsored walk or bike ride, pub quiz, office collection or
sponsored bungee jump (!) you can help us to reach our goal.
We want to help you to help us so if you can feel the motivation arising in you then please email matt@khuphuka.org leaving a contact number and Matt will call you and offer advice on organising an event and any further support you may need.
Thank You!
Sister
Abigail Ntleko, co-director of the Khuphuka Project travelled to London
and San Francisco in April to receive an Unsung Hero award from his
Holiness the Dalai Lama. She attended many fund raising events that
were organized by our sister sanghas in London and San Francisco and
raised over $2,500 for the Khuphuka Project. Many thanks to Sister
Abigail, the San Francisco Insight Meditation Centre and the London
Insight Meditation Centre for making this happen.
Heartfelt
thanks also goes to the staff of St. Joseph's Arden View Tullamore,
staff at Europharmaconcepts, Clara, Co. Offaly, Ireland and many
individual donors who gave so openly to our project. Special thanks to
the Mandala Trust, UK who gave funding to the local crèche in
uMqatsheni for the purchase of educational books, toys and equipment –
the crèche has been transformed by this donation. The management and
staff of the Khuphuka Project are extremely grateful for all these
expressions of generosity.
