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Izandla Zethemba
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is a non-profit organisation based in Tambo, Cape Town.
It was birthed in 2000 through Khanyisa Community Church,
Guguletu, as a response to the massive impact of HIV/AIDS
on the lives of people in the surrounding informal communities.
Izandla Zethemba registered as a Section 21 company in 2002.
The communities which Izandla Zethamba serves include
Tambo Village, Gugulethu and KTC.
Organisational mission statement and overall aim/goal:
Izandla Zethemba (“Hands of Hope”) aims to bring hope amidst the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS through a community driven approach, where the poor uplift the destitute. This is achieved through a comprehensive Support-Care programme where staff are motivated by Christian compassion.
Izandla Zethemba (Hands of Hope)
Community based support to families infected
and affected by HIV/AIDS
Uluntu Centre
NY 108 |
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Guguletu
021 637 6749
Project director: Thobeka Macozoma 083 710 4696
Programme co-ordinator: Jo Partridge 083 75 9934 |
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Objectives of the Organisation: |
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Provision of holistic support and care services to families and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS, through a community based home visiting programme. This includes:
1. Counselling and Support
• Practical and spiritual support to individuals, families and groups.
• Nutritional support and education.
2. Orphan and Vulnerable Children Support
• Specialized practical and psychosocial support to children who are orphans or who are vulnerable as a result of HIV/AIDS in their family.
• Nutritional support and education.
3. HIV and AIDS Community Education to Affected Mothers, Community Adults and Out of School Youth
• Education and awareness training workshops run for target community groups
4. Support groups for adults and OVC’s (orphans and vulnerable children)
• 2 adult support groups – one a ‘closed’ group for those who have just discovered their status, and the second an ‘open’ group for those who have already disclosed and are happy to be part of a bigger group
• 2 OVC support groups – one ages 3-11 and the second one for those age 12-16 |
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What we do: |
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• We are currently working with 50 OVC’s and 82 families
• We give out 41 food parcels per month; the criteria for who receives these is done on needs assessments.
Our food parcels are supplied from two different sources and consist items specifically needed by those who are HIV+.:
• Twice a month we have a donation of fruit and vegetables. We divide these into packs and distribute 80 per month again in response to needs assessments.
• Our HIV/AIDS prevention programme is run through our OVC support groups and also the awareness/education days we run for the community at which we have 60 participants and target one per term
We promote the ABC programme – abstinence/be faithful/use condoms and use videos and teaching AIDS to workshop the programme in small groups |
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In the past: What has been achieved: |
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A handful of infected people and their families have been regularly visited through Khanyisa Community Church since 2000. With this number increasing and the birth of Izandla Zethemba, the need for a structured home-visiting programme was recognised. Four community workers were fully trained at ATTIC to provide support and care to these affected families.
Izandla Zethemba has made contact with over sixty affected families. Over 42 families are currently being visited regularly and this project has grown from sixteen families since 2002. Many people have passed away too, however more clients are now able to access anti-retrovirals and be supported in adherance through IZAP and the community clinics. 48 orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS are currently being offered specialised support. Many of these are infected with HIV themselves and on treatment programmes. 2002 saw the start of a pilot support group for grief work with orphans and adults facing the loss of a parent. Over 25 families have been receiving food parcels on a monthly basis since March 2006.
In February 2002, with the help of a professional dietician, Izandla Zethemba put together a food list of for an affected family. This list has been established as the contents for a monthly food parcel, and parcels are being provided by partner churches in the greater Cape Town area.
At the heart of Izandla Zethemba is the desire that those who have been helped will help others. Two Izandla Zethemba clients are now volunteers at IZAP and are being mentored to help counsel others within the project. Referrals for the families on this project have come from word of mouth within Khanyisa and the communities of KTC, Guguletu and Tambo.
Izandla Zethemba has pioneered a home visiting model that forms a link between health services and the community. This model has been developed in such a way that it can be used by other community based organisations and faith based organisations doing similar work. The key to the model is the empowering of the local community to take ownership of the project and care for people with HIV/AIDS.
In 2004 three IZAP counsellors were seconded a morning a week to do VCT and post test counselling at Victoria Hospital. This was a strategic decision to enable the counsellors to build up their skills base and gain experience within a well informed health context. IZAP would like to serve their clinics more effectively in the future when their capacity is established to take this on and offer VCT support counselling.
A team of three staff and volunteers have been part time involved in ensuring Education and Prevention takes place. This was through youth community workshops run by IZAP and workshops for community mothers infected by HIV and AIDS.
2005-2006 - has seen the growth of two adult support groups running weekly and a children’s support group. There has been a visible difference in the lives of many of the IZAP clients and a reduction in stigma amongst their families and communities including the church. IZAP has also forged formal partnerships with community NGO’s and churches to ensure long term sustainability for resources and human resources.
2007 - At the beginning of the year we launched a second support group for OVC’s (orphans and vulnerable children) in response to needs assessments. To capacitate this work with incorporates home visits, interviewing new children, counselling the children, sorting out donations and distributing according to need and preparing monthly themes along with activities to re-inforce those themes we appointed two of our volunteers to staff.
Through the support groups our monthly themes and activities aim to build life-skills and build resilience into the children as well as helping them work through their personal feelings associated with grief and loss.
• Over the past 12 months we have covered such themes as:
HIV/AIDS – prevention and care of those who are infected
Friendship
Trust
Faith
Self-esteem/self-worth
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