TAC members form home-based care organisation
“One of our challenges is that people from our community are being mislead to leave treatment and take traditional herbs, which don’t help fight the virus, ” says Phumza Nikani, a caregiver with the newly formed Sindisa Home-based Care organisation.
Nikani blames misconceptions about HIV treatment for high numbers of orphaned children in the community.
The organisation is completely funded by TAC Rondebult branch members and has already started a weekly soup kitchen for vulnerable chlidren in the community. Sindisa Home-based Care workers also pool funds monthly to buy groceries for their patients.
Luvuyo Makhubalo was at one time a patient but has now become a member.
“This organisation has been helpful to me,” he told OurHealth. “They helped me recover and are taking care of me and my younger siblings up until today by giving us food and other household stuff we need.”
I decided to take part in the organisation and reach out to those who need help as I was helped,” he added.
While care givers told OurHealth that they love their work, they said they are short on supplies due to a lack of sponsorship.
“We really love what we do, but now – because we don’t have funders or people who sponsor us – we are short of working material like plastic gloves and masks which can help us prevent the spread of infections,’ said Sindisa charperson Bongani Radebe.
