Home Based Care

"You know, when I started to work with HIV / AIDS patients as from 2003, while there were no ARV's in public Sector patients were dying and families frustrated. But the best of them, what I did was to provide total love on Home Based Care programme with Sophakama where I did home visits providing home based care psychosocial support, home Care and Memory Boxes for the children as remembrance of their parents. A great pleasure in my work in those days was to see patients dying in a peaceful and dignified manner.  And in 2004 a wonderful year indeed the introduction of ARV, but with fear when started to work on ARV. I knew nothing about ARV's as I could hardly pronounce names like Stavudine or Lamivudine.

What really was interesting was to see patients that were dying in bed waking up with ARV's. Not forgetting another couple who were both on stage 4 AIDS whom I counselled and started on ARV's, Today they are still alive, happily married with 2 negative children. They are now still active."  Quote from a Sophakama Home Based Carer.

Advocacy

During 2011, through the collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs we assisted 166 children to obtain birth certificates which enabled them to receive social grants.  A further 200 people received identity documents (ID) which helps them to obtain government subsidies which in turn helps them to receive proper RDP houses.  Youth receiving ID documents have also been able to gain employment in the Expanded Public Works Programme.

We also assisted 311 people to access social grants as result of our collaboration with the Department of Social Development (DSD) and South African Social Security Agency (SASSA).  This helps to alleviate poverty and also ensure that the HIV positive clients on anti- retroviral treatment can eat healthily.

Sophakama Carer, Xoliswa Hlomendlini met community member, Zoliswa Skiti (36 years old) with 2 children aged 4 and 7 years.  Zoliswa was new to Joe Slovo and had no income at all.  With Sophakama's assistance, the family was assisted with food parcels through SASSA while they were waiting for grant approval.  Zoliswa now receives a Child Support Grant and the family can now buy groceries, clothes and pay school fees.

Small scale food security initiatives

35 families have maintained their small scale gardens which help to prevent hunger and dependency.  Through the support by Oxfam we were able to provide seeds to the Nxumalo family of 3 who are staying in one room shack in Joe Slovo Phase 4. They planted vegetables in their backyard which is watered by 11 year old Sibongiseni who was so excited when he saw the vegetables growing and since then they have started to eat healthy vegetables and share them with their neighbours and also encourage them to plant their own vegetables. By supporting us you are adding hope to the lives of vulnerable people of Joe Slovo. Every effort makes a different to the lives of people of Joe Slovo.