This blog has moved.
You can continue to read about Transcape's Home Based Care program by going to http://trscphomebasedcaring.blogspot.com
Or by going to the TransCape website www.transcape.org/cms and following the links. Each TransCape project has its own blog, so follow the links and find out more about the other amazing projects Transcape is involved in.
Thanks to those of you who have been reading! I hope you can continue to follow along with us on this journey.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Progress
January has been a month full of new starts in the Home Based Care Program!
Firstly, TransCape has a new HBC Coordinator! Lindelwa, the leader of Siyakhula HBC has agreed to work with TransCape now, to be the coordinator of our whole HBC program. TransCape couldn't have wished for anyone better for the job, as Lindelwa has been a pioneer of Home Based Caring in Nqgeleni.
This year we are starting up a forum for our HBC leaders. At the end of each month all of the HBC leaders will meet together with the HBC coordinator to hand in their monthly reports and discuss problems, successes and any new announcements for the month.
Our first forum meeting took place at the end of January with Lindelwa, Lindiwe (Siyakhula's new leader), Nontandazo (Philisa), and myself. Nonkululeko (Mdumbi) was unable to attend. At this meeting we were able to explain clearly how we expected the reports to be filled in and also how the New HIV program would work and how the HBCs would be involved. It was also raised that there is another HBC in Ward 14, and while we are unable to support them financially at this time, we will invite them to join our forum so that they can be learning from the other groups. Hopefully at the end of this month all of our HBC leaders will be able to attend so we can learn more about what is happening in their groups.
Jutta, an amazing donor with an extraordinarily large heart, will begin providing our groups with matress covers, linen protectors, and disposable nappies for their bedridden patients. At this meeting we discovered that Siyakhula has 11, and Philisa and Mdumbi both have 10 bedridden patients so this is a huge blessing for the carers.
Construction has begun on Philisa's new office building! Dave and his team of bricklayers began working on the lot last week and now Philisa anxiously awaits their new 2 roomed, flat-top office building.
Another positive note, if not a new start is that Philisa's carers are now about half way through their SANTA training and are doing very well. In a competition this weekend against the other training groups, they came in first place. Well done ladies!!
Firstly, TransCape has a new HBC Coordinator! Lindelwa, the leader of Siyakhula HBC has agreed to work with TransCape now, to be the coordinator of our whole HBC program. TransCape couldn't have wished for anyone better for the job, as Lindelwa has been a pioneer of Home Based Caring in Nqgeleni.
This year we are starting up a forum for our HBC leaders. At the end of each month all of the HBC leaders will meet together with the HBC coordinator to hand in their monthly reports and discuss problems, successes and any new announcements for the month.
Our first forum meeting took place at the end of January with Lindelwa, Lindiwe (Siyakhula's new leader), Nontandazo (Philisa), and myself. Nonkululeko (Mdumbi) was unable to attend. At this meeting we were able to explain clearly how we expected the reports to be filled in and also how the New HIV program would work and how the HBCs would be involved. It was also raised that there is another HBC in Ward 14, and while we are unable to support them financially at this time, we will invite them to join our forum so that they can be learning from the other groups. Hopefully at the end of this month all of our HBC leaders will be able to attend so we can learn more about what is happening in their groups.
Jutta, an amazing donor with an extraordinarily large heart, will begin providing our groups with matress covers, linen protectors, and disposable nappies for their bedridden patients. At this meeting we discovered that Siyakhula has 11, and Philisa and Mdumbi both have 10 bedridden patients so this is a huge blessing for the carers.
Construction has begun on Philisa's new office building! Dave and his team of bricklayers began working on the lot last week and now Philisa anxiously awaits their new 2 roomed, flat-top office building.
Another positive note, if not a new start is that Philisa's carers are now about half way through their SANTA training and are doing very well. In a competition this weekend against the other training groups, they came in first place. Well done ladies!!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
2010: A Year for Training and Awareness
Happy New Year!
2010 is starting off with SANTA trainings for Philisa HBC. SANTA trainings are 6 weeks long and are a practical and theoretical course in Home Based Caring. The carers are trained in a hospital in Mthatha and at the end receive their certification as a Home Based Carer.
Ten carers from Philisa are starting this training today and we had hoped that ten from Mdumbi HBC would also be able to start today, however because of some disorganization we will have to make a new booking for them later. Lindelwa and I will be spending time with them next week to help them get back on track with their work after the Christmas break.
We are hoping to be able to train the carers in many different areas over the next few months. PMTCT, VCT,POTTA, peer councelling, and wellness trainings are just a few of the trainings we are hoping to organize. Along with training them ourselves in monitoring and evaluation and business and management.
With the TransCape HIV program kicking off in Ward 22 this month, Siyakhula HBC will be feeling the impacts of more awareness in that area. 5 of their carers were trained in VCT and will be helping in the clinic and all of the carers are excited about attending the awareness days and being able to do more peer councelling.
2010 is starting off with SANTA trainings for Philisa HBC. SANTA trainings are 6 weeks long and are a practical and theoretical course in Home Based Caring. The carers are trained in a hospital in Mthatha and at the end receive their certification as a Home Based Carer.
Ten carers from Philisa are starting this training today and we had hoped that ten from Mdumbi HBC would also be able to start today, however because of some disorganization we will have to make a new booking for them later. Lindelwa and I will be spending time with them next week to help them get back on track with their work after the Christmas break.
We are hoping to be able to train the carers in many different areas over the next few months. PMTCT, VCT,POTTA, peer councelling, and wellness trainings are just a few of the trainings we are hoping to organize. Along with training them ourselves in monitoring and evaluation and business and management.
With the TransCape HIV program kicking off in Ward 22 this month, Siyakhula HBC will be feeling the impacts of more awareness in that area. 5 of their carers were trained in VCT and will be helping in the clinic and all of the carers are excited about attending the awareness days and being able to do more peer councelling.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Siyakhula OVC Christmas Party
Today was Siyakhula's last day of operation before Christmas. It was also the day of their OVC Christmas Party. It was such a wonderful event, filled with speakers and dancing and the giving away of duvet sets to 20 of their children.Representatives from Social Development and Small Projects Foundation spoke, along with the OVC Coordinators for both Philisa and Mdumbi HBCs and myself.
It was very good for Philisa and Mdumbi to be there. Events like these will soon be part of their programs and it is a very good learning experience for them to be able to see how these events are put on and participate in them.
Siyakhula has estimated that there are about 557 Orphans and Vulnerable Children, in their area who have been receiving services from Siyakhula since 2008. These services include blankets, winter clothes, uniforms, and food parcels, among other thing. They also have 50 foster parents participating in the support group they set up specifically for foster parents in their ward.
Siyakhula and especially Lindelwa received much deserved praises for the hard work they have been doing in their community. Here Lindelwa is dancing with a choir from one of the local schools.
Ntomfikile the OVC Coordinator for Mdumbi and Nontandazo, the Project Leader of Philisa speaking about their work and the importance of supporting OVCs.
This event was the last for Home Based Care for this year as all of the offices are now closed for Christmas. In January Lindelwa will begin working full time with Transcape as the HBC Coordinator and we will begin intensively training all of the HBCs together.
It was very good for Philisa and Mdumbi to be there. Events like these will soon be part of their programs and it is a very good learning experience for them to be able to see how these events are put on and participate in them.
Siyakhula has estimated that there are about 557 Orphans and Vulnerable Children, in their area who have been receiving services from Siyakhula since 2008. These services include blankets, winter clothes, uniforms, and food parcels, among other thing. They also have 50 foster parents participating in the support group they set up specifically for foster parents in their ward.
Siyakhula and especially Lindelwa received much deserved praises for the hard work they have been doing in their community. Here Lindelwa is dancing with a choir from one of the local schools.
Ntomfikile the OVC Coordinator for Mdumbi and Nontandazo, the Project Leader of Philisa speaking about their work and the importance of supporting OVCs.
This event was the last for Home Based Care for this year as all of the offices are now closed for Christmas. In January Lindelwa will begin working full time with Transcape as the HBC Coordinator and we will begin intensively training all of the HBCs together.
Happy Holidays!
Monday, December 7, 2009
World AIDS Day
Thursday was World AIDS Day in Libode, an event put on by a few different organizations in this area along with some government representatives. Siyahkula HBC was one of the organizations who helped to plan the day and so I went with them to the event.
The event was very successful. There was a ceremony with speakers from the different representatives as well as a lot of traditional dancing. There were also opportunities for VCT in seperate tents outside. Siyakhula helped to arrange the catering for the day and the people who attended were able to have a cooked meal. Even though the day was very rainy and miserable, there was a huge number of people in attendance and all of them seemed to have a very good time!
The day was concluded with a candle light service for those were living with or had passed away from AIDS. People living with HIV were asked to come to the front and together they sang and prayed. While I couldn't understand exactly what was being said, the impact of the words could definately be felt and it was an amazing thing to be part of.
The event was very successful. There was a ceremony with speakers from the different representatives as well as a lot of traditional dancing. There were also opportunities for VCT in seperate tents outside. Siyakhula helped to arrange the catering for the day and the people who attended were able to have a cooked meal. Even though the day was very rainy and miserable, there was a huge number of people in attendance and all of them seemed to have a very good time!
The day was concluded with a candle light service for those were living with or had passed away from AIDS. People living with HIV were asked to come to the front and together they sang and prayed. While I couldn't understand exactly what was being said, the impact of the words could definately be felt and it was an amazing thing to be part of.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Planning
Lately my work with the homebased care groups has been alot more office based than work with the groups themselves. I have been working closely with Lindelwa, the project leader of Siyakhula and soon to be Home Based Care Coordinator for TransCape. Together we have been making a plan for how we would like to add quality to the care provided by the groups throughout the next 2 years and more specifically for me over the next 6 months.
One of our biggest goals for the groups for over the next coming months is that they will all be using a system of reporting with which we will be able to gather information about each client and the type of care they are receiving from the carers. We would like this information to be both outcome based, showing what services are being provided and who exactly is receiving those services, and also personal enough to be able to easily monitor that each individual patient is receiving the proper care from their carer.
We also plan to provide more trainings for the carers, most importantly getting all of the carers certified for home based caring. Some of this training has already begun, with 5 members of Siyakhula and one member each from Philisa and Mdumbi being trained along side the prevention teams in Voluntary Counselling and Testing.
The Home Based Care groups are all getting ready to wrap up their years and take a break for christmas which means that a lot of work must be done in the next 2 weeks in terms of planning for the start of next year.
One of our biggest goals for the groups for over the next coming months is that they will all be using a system of reporting with which we will be able to gather information about each client and the type of care they are receiving from the carers. We would like this information to be both outcome based, showing what services are being provided and who exactly is receiving those services, and also personal enough to be able to easily monitor that each individual patient is receiving the proper care from their carer.
We also plan to provide more trainings for the carers, most importantly getting all of the carers certified for home based caring. Some of this training has already begun, with 5 members of Siyakhula and one member each from Philisa and Mdumbi being trained along side the prevention teams in Voluntary Counselling and Testing.
The Home Based Care groups are all getting ready to wrap up their years and take a break for christmas which means that a lot of work must be done in the next 2 weeks in terms of planning for the start of next year.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Door to Door with Mdumbi HBC
I was given the opportunity to spend the day going door to door with the caregivers of Mdumbi Home Based Care this past week. What an eye opening experience that was! It was amazing and eye openning for me to be able to see into the lives of the people of the community in which we are working.
From this experience I was able to see first hand the work that the caregivers are doing everyday. This gives me a better idea of how to add quality to their program. One thing I noticed about the Mdumbi group is that they seem to be working more as social workers, than healthcare workers. Many of the homes that we visited were those of orhpans or vulnerable children (OVCs) and we talked to the guardians about how to get foster care grants and how best to care for the children. While we did see some patients with medical problems, such as TB or chronic pain, I saw more counselling being done than hands on patient care.
The ability to counsel clients and direct them to the appropriate services are definate strengths, however these strengths need to be built upon with other forms of care, such as bathing patients and treating minor medical issues as there is a high need of these forms of care in their community.
A couple of images from the day: 
Nosiseko has been counselling this tata in how to care for his 2 orphaned grandchildren who have come to live with him. She is helping him to get a Foster Care grant and teaching him important things about caring for children.
This Mama lives alone and had no one to care for her when she was released from the hospital after being treated for TB so Ntombifikile visits her every day and cooks and cleans for her and gives her a bath.
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