 |
Nonhlanhla helping out at the support
group garden by gathering water! |
Support
Groups
Our Khula
Support Group has been having regular English lessons prepared by volunteers as well as partaking in some knitting. It is fantastic to see the ladies
trying hard to use their English skills, even when we see them outside of the weekly support group meetings. The members have also taken to knitting and have enjoyed working with
the yarn and needles while conversing.
The Ezwenelisha
Support Group spent time gardening and participating in yoga sessions with
David throughout June. This month, Ezwenelisha Support Group received the devastating news that
long-time member Sizakhele passed away. She had been battling after having a
stroke a few years ago and her health had slowly deteriorated. All of
the members came together to support each other and pay their respects to
Sizakele and her family by attending the funeral at the end of June in a nearby village.
Members of
Mother's Support Group have learnt about osteoporosis, stomach ulcers,
tonsillitis, how to deal with stretch marks and of course some more mother and
baby exercises. All our ladies are
attending on a regular basis and are thoroughly enjoying the topics volunteers
are providing them.
 |
| Pendukile's family posing with their new tree and clothes. |
10 Families
There were
highlights and lowlights for this month’s ten families. The highlights were that two of our biggest
families graduated with huge success. The Zikhale family and Pendukile's
children all received certificates, clothing donations and an indigenous tree to
congratulate them on their success!
Our
thoughts and support are also with the family of patient Sibusiso who passed
away this month. He struggled with his health for many months and was helped
hugely by volunteers, medical coordinator Nokwethemba, the clinic and his
family. He will be sorely missed and all at African Impact send his family our
deepest sympathy. In order to make funeral arrangements and support his family, volunteers and staff made visits to his house and even sought the help of the local government councillor to sort funeral arrangements with Sibusiso's former employer.
 |
| Volunteer Brittany at the clinic's intake desk. |
Clinic
We hit a
new target this month as Volunteers Meera and Maria saw 157 patients in one
morning at clinic! Needless to say this morning the ladies were flat out.
Volunteers this month have been experiencing large numbers and assisting hugely
especially on clinic days that have fallen on baby immunisation days.
Home Assistance and Home Based Care
June has
been a busy month for our Home Based Care and Home Assistance teams. As mentioned in last month’s blog, Velenkosi continues to go from strength to strength. He now is walking with ease and has
no other illnesses, this continues to be an amazing transformation for
volunteers to see.
Patient Veronic is
also beginning to look better, after a long hard battle with her health and with
numerous trips to Hlabisa and Durban hospital she has finally had the operation
that we hope will provide her with better health for the future. We have also
been able to donate a large pack of stomach bags which means she can hopefully
keep her operation clean and well looked after. Another patient who underwent
an operation this month was Thembi who had a tumour removed. With help and after care from volunteers the
wound has healed fully and she is now heading back to her home country of
Swaziland.
Sad news on
Home Based Care this month as Gogo Breast Cancer, a long time patient, passed
away. She had been extremely sick for many years after having one breast
removed and the wound being left open. Volunteers have been seeing her
regularly for the past two years and her cheery spirit has always left them
feeling uplifted, she will be greatly missed by everyone. Upon our visit to her home to pay our respects, her husband spoke fondly of the time volunteers spent with his wife.
Home
assistance this month has seen volunteers help a lot of family homes and tend
to their gardens. Gogo one leg was especially pleased as the lady that would
usually help her does not come anymore so she was so happy to have the help and
assistance from the volunteers over various visits.
Overall
June has been a very busy and exciting month. All our thoughts are with the
families of all those who have passed away this month. We look forward to
seeing what July brings as we meet new volunteers and kick start a season where
numbers inflate! Thank you to everyone who was involved in making June such an
epic hit!
