Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Moving

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.

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!!

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.