Every morning, our first thought should be a wish to devote the day to the good of all living beings.
- Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
- Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Sr Abigail Ntleko and Matt York, Community Care Supervisors (left) and Nomkhosi Majosi, Community Care Co-ordinator (right)
The HIV and AIDS Home Based Care service is at the centre of our work with the uMqatsheni community. The Khuphuka Project currently has a team of 9 Community Care Workers (CCW’s)
led by our community care co-ordinator, Nomkhosi Majozi. They are strategically placed within each of the 9 areas of operation in order to offer home based care to families who would otherwise have
no access to nursing care. All CCW’s are trained to administer simple medications when needed.
They are also trained to offer advice and support on treatment literacy and compliance, nutrition, exercise and psychological wellbeing, and to identify orphaned and vulnerable children. The CCW’s then liaise with specialist workers within the team to report any unmet needs which are met by the Khuphuka Project or referred externally to an appropriate service. The community care team are currently supervised and supported by 2 qualified nurses, Sister Abigail Ntleko and Matt York.
All community care workers have received training in HIV and AIDS counselling and further counselling skills and actively promote HIV testing and disclosure. They have also undertaken acredited training in child care.
The Khuphuka Project is currently facilitating two 'People Living with HIV and AIDS' (PLWHA) support groups within the area, they provide information and discuss issues such as treatment literacy, safer sex practices, nutrition, exercise and emotional wellbeing.
Upon completion of the Khuphuka Project Community outreach centre in 2010 we will become a Voluntary Counselling and Testing site (VCT), Nomkhosi Majozi has now been trained to provide VCT services and will be running the service. At present, all Khuphuka CCW’s actively encourage their clients to attend the nearest clinic for VCT.
Khuphuka Project Quarterly Activity Reports
At the beginning of July 2009 the Khuphuka Project conducted a quarterly analysis of its work (April to June 2009) in its Community Care Programme. The findings of this analysis are included below:
165 households were provided with home based care during this period. It is noteworthy that the vast majority of our clients are female and that 77% are unemployed. Of our clients who know their status, 70% are HIV positive yet 66% of clients do not know their status, highlighting the urgent need for local Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) services. In response to this our Community Care Co-ordinator attended certified VCT training in Durban in early September to enable her to administer local VCT services.
There are over 100 children who are in an orphaned or vulnerable situation and 70% of clients report food insecurity. Community Care Workers are actively engaged in providing HIV / AIDS counseling information and prevention, nutrition and health promotion to 86% of households for this period.
The number of HIV related deaths for this period was three and 32 people were successfully discharged from our service as they were able to get treatment from the local clinic. There are more than 20 people attending our People Living with HIV and Aids (PLWHA) support groups and monthly meetings are well attended with the initiation of an income generating project for group members.