At the first staff meeting for 2012, the West Coast staff had a lot of fun getting dressed up and parading for their colleagues.  The theme for the day was Funky Shmunky

By the time I met the people from Mfesane I had defaulted on my medication because the clinic was too far from my house.  The Caregiver from Mfesane encouraged me to take my medication by organising transport for me.  Since then I’m taking my medication regularly.

I am happy to be with Mfesane because they take care of me.  If I have no food, they provide me with food parcels as well as a home based care kit.  Now the caregiver is teaching me how to take care of myself by means of a food garden.  I am also a member of the support group where I learn sewing and beading skills.

Mrs Kate

When I met the people from Mfesane, I stayed with my grandchildren, two twin boys and my daughter with her own two kids.  During October 2011 my house caught fire while we were sleeping.  Currently I’m using paraffin lamps and stoves as I don’t have electricity yet.

The Mfesane home based carer came to see my house, and provided me with clothes and some bedding/linen.  Also curtains and food parcels.  They helped me with a vegetable garden that gives me spinach, onion and beetroot.  I appreciate the care and support I get from Mfesane.

Sankelo Moseti

I stay with my mother, brother and one of my sisters in Polor Park.  My father passed away in 2000 with HIV/Aids.  I was looking after him at that time, and I didn’t know about HIV/Aids.  After my father’s death I discovered bad wounds all over my body.  My mother and I went to the clinic to get tested for HIV/Aids and we found out that we were infected.  I started to get sick, having running stomach, vomiting and diarrhea.

One day while I was sleeping, there was a knock on the door, and my mother opened.  It was a caregiver from Mfesane.  She said that her job was to look after sick people at their homes.  When she saw me lying on the bed, she realised that I was very sick, and called an ambulance.

I was admitted at Livingstone for two weeks and put on a drip.  When I came back, the caregivers visited to help me wash, as I was very weak.  Mfesane went to the clinic every day to fetch my treatment.  They also registered me for school, paid my school fees and informed the teacher about my condition.  I’ve been very blessed.

Thandiwe Majo

In June 2011 I got introduced to Mfesane.  I was very sick.  My sister in law saw the Mfesane caregivers with their door-to-door campaign, and asked them to assist me.  I was coughing and didn’t want to eat.

The caregiver arranged for transport to the clinic and helped me get tested.  I’m HIV positive.  After that the caregiver looked after me by making sure I get my treatment regularly and she also taught me how to look after myself.  At the moment I’m also teaching my family and friends on how to take care of themselves.

Zondani

When I got in contact with Mfesane, I was very sick.  Mfesane’s caregiver encouraged me to go to the clinic.  She escourted me, and I got tested and also received the correct treatment.  The carer supervised  my treatment, and also provided me with transport when I needed to go to the clinic.

Late last year I was raped and I was injured in my head, now I am mentally disturbed.  Mfesane provides me with Huggies every month and also supply transport to fetch my social grant.  They helped me to get registered for the social grant.  I also have a vegetable garden at my home for which Mfesane supplied the seeds.

To enter a church and talk about HIV, STIGMA, DISCRIMINATION is probably one of the most difficult things to do. The success story however has shown that it is possible

With my first contact meeting with the Pastor of West Coast Outreach Centre, I have realised that some churches in this age of time are open and hunger for change. There exist a deep hunger to talk to their congregants about HIV, STIGMA, DISCRIMINATION, SEX AND GENDER and many of the social ills that we face daily. The shepherd of the church, Pastor Desmond Brown welcomed the Church Mobilisation Program openheartedly into his the church.

From the beginning of August, I have worked with a dynamic group of youngsters, leading and guiding them into becoming independent and leaders of the church as well as their immediate community. Some tough stuff has been dealt with such as Relationships, HIV and AIDS, STIGMA and Love in Action.

The youth has grown remarkably and made suggestions of leading a youth service at church. The theme of the service was discussed and will include HIV and Aids. They said that they want to be seen and heard and that they want to play a positive role in their church.

The ideas were forward to the Leadership and they welcomed the idea. Planning are in process and the youth are looking forward to the service.

The success of it all is that churches must become HIV competent and for them to address all the social ills. With the correct mindset and attitude a lot can be achieve.

Church mobilisation has definitely worked towards HIV Competence of this church and FOLLOWED a people’s approach that is called  the ABCD approach that we as Mfesane make part of our programs.

We learned that he comes from very difficult and challenging circumstances at home. He told us one time that coming to the sessions is a way for him to escape from the problems at home. We assumed at first that he is an introvert but after he did the personality test he, as well as us, were a bit surprised to find out that he is in fact not an introvert.

As the sessions, progressed Mark became more visible in the group. He started to participate and raise his opinions. More than half of the group dropped out along the way but Mark was at the sessions week after week despite the fact that he does not have the support system at home and have many challenges to face.

As the group got smaller, we were worried because it seems like no one was going to take the lead. Surprisingly, Mark was the one that started to take the lead. He motivated the other five participants to stay in the program and the six of them took initiative to find out why the other participants dropped out of the program.

At our second last session with them, Mark announced that he was promoted in the brigade to Sergeant. He went from this shy, withdrawn young man to the leader of the group and was promoted in the brigade. The way he articulate himself shows the growth within him.

Child and youth care workers facilitate the needs of the children and families infected and affected by the virus. They work in the life space of the child. Daily activities include homework supervision, story-time, life skills, outdoors play and creative work. The families are trained or assisted with nutritional needs, psychological support, educational support, economic support (e.g. applications for grants), health care and referrals.

To increase participation testing did not focus on HIV alone, but rather took the form of an overall health screening. People could come to the testing site to have their blood pressure taken, sugar levels checked, weight measured, etc. We’ve found that this strategy makes it easier and more appealing for people to come for testing since there is less stigma attached to health screening.

Presentations are tailored to provide age-appropriate information to the target audience, addressing the key drivers of the epidemic using the following topics as a guide:

• Facts about HIV/AIDS
• Abstinence and being faithful
• Correct and consistent condom usage to prevent transmission and infection.
• The importance of mutual monogamy to reduce the transmission of HIV among individuals in long-term sexual relationships, addressing multiple concurrent relationships.
• Stigma and Discrimination
• Prevention strategies
• Being tested – know your status, couple testing
• Positive living