Caring for the destitute elderly with no support and little money
The centre has been in existence since 2006 after Ms. Lerato Makgalanyane and Mr. Daniel Rakgopela realised the need in the area. However, the good work done here is done mostly by volunteers and with very little money.
Caregivers feed the old people nutritious food, bath and wash them, and make sure they get proper healthcare through partnerships with Kopanong Clinic and Garankuwa Hospital, since most of them have age-related afflictions like arthritis and vision problems, as well as TB.
“We do not have any nurse or doctor from the local health sytem that visits us,” says a caregiver Ms. Rosina Motshei. The caregivers take their patients to the clinics in spite of transport problems.
Mr. Rakgopela said the local political will to provide support for their work appears to be lacking.
The organisation has never been funded and it depends on the residents’ grants. They appeal to communities to assist because there is not sufficient food, no proper ablutions and showers, and no stipends for volunteers. The house is run down and when it rains the roof leaks. – OurHealth/Health-e News Service
Tshilidzi Tuwani is an OurHealth Citizen Journalist reporting from Soshanguve in the Tshwane health district in Gauteng.
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