News about the HIV Hope Project
Most recent news items appear at the top
Annual Report August 2010
The HIV Hope Project's Annual Report has been released. Click here.
Progress with vegetable gardens
The
vegetable gardens project, part of the feeding initiative of the HIV Hope
Project, has grown to 7 sites at present. The idea of providing for
one's family in this way, is increasingly gaining acceptance among the community of Hogsback and
the Tyume valley.
Voluntary workers (people affected or infected by HIV/AIDS) are responsible for preparation of the soil, planting, and tending to the vegetable gardens. The HIV Hope project provides the seedlings.
Hunterstoun Trust takes over training of Peer Educators
Peer
educator training is an ongoing concern and responsibility. The
Hunterstoun Trust, under the expert leadership of Mrs. Pauline Mitchell,
has taken over the peer educator training of the HIV Hope project. A
group of keen learners meet once a week at the surgery, and spend an
hour on specific subjects concerning HIV/AIDS. A discussion usually
follows the training session, and the time for questions is well spent.
New Arst and Crafts Centre opened
The new Arts and Crafts Centre has recently opened under the artistic management of one of our local volunteers, Mr Doug Mylroie. He is assisted by Mrs Maria Gladwin.
The purpose of this centre is to develop and share skills as the women of Hogsback get together twice-weekly. Bead work, crochet work and embroidery are currently the main focus.
Approach by Hands at Work NGO
Hands at Work NGO has approached us for a working collaboration aimed at assisting Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC). Click here to read more about how they operate.
Possible collaboration with Department of Health
A possible private-public-partnership is currently being investigated, in terms of which the HIV Hope project site will serve as a down referral clinic from Victoria hospital. Hopefully the ARVs would soon be provided by the Dept of Health, as President Zuma has indicated should happen.
Fund-raising Dinner and Auction - Parisian style
The Happy Hogs Restaurant volunteered to organise a dinner and auction on Saturday evening, 5th December, as a fund raiser to the HIV Hope Project. It was done in a fine Parisian flavour. The spirit of the evening was great and the guests were generous in participating in the auction.
Graeme Ressell was voted the best-dressed dinner guest.
Tata 2X4 for HIV Hope Project
The HIV Hope Project has just become the proud recipient of a TATA 2x4 double cab vehicle. This generous gift has been made possible by the Rotary club of Carolina Forest Sunrise, District 7770 USA and a matching grant from Rotary club Port Elizabeth East, District 9320.
The photograph shows Mr Ted Woodall (left) who saw to all the documentation, and Mr Lionel Heath, District Governor of Rotary District 9320.
This vehicle will streamline the transport of patients to and from the HIV clinic, as well as transportation of laboratory specimens and medication.
The two Rotary clubs identified the need for assistance with the HIV work in this area last year, during a visit to Hogsback. Dr Raffia Elizabeth Smith initiated the project, and got the ball rolling while she was in South Africa. Rotary USA and Rotary SA, we salute you!
Christmas hampers for our HIV patients
At the end of this year, the HIV Hope project will be giving a Christmas hamper filled with non-perishable foodstuffs to each of the HIV patients under our care.
The photograph shows Bukhelwa, our adherence monitor (left) handing over the first of these hampers. The recipient's face radiates joy and thankfulness.
We observe World AIDS Day
On the 1st and 2nd of December, the community of Hogsback combined forces and put together an impressive arts and crafts exhibition.
Every visitor to the exhibition was inspired by the local talent. Beautiful quilts were displayed, together with pottery articles, jewellery, decoupage work, spinning and weaving, and even an African drum.
The aims of the exhibition were the following:
- To inspire people to share their ability to make an article of beauty;
- To mark the beginning of our HIV arts & crafts centre, which will soon be opening; and
- To discover and encourage local talent.
What have we achieved:
- The quilters of Hogsback were inspired to start a quilters guild early next year;
- Prof Bernard Bleibinger will be offering a workshop on making African drums within the next month.
- People have started donating materials that could be used at our local arts and crafts centre.
The HIV Hope Project is thankful to the Hogsback Inn, for making the venue available for this exhibition.
Community outreach at Pandhulwazi Agricultural High Scool
Recently,
a community outreach day was held at Phandulwazi Agricultural High
School. The theme: teenage pregnancy - your view. The learners were
addressed by our guest speaker, Lusanda Madubedube (right), and our Peer
Educators (below, left).
The
event was a tremendous success: Five Schools were represented, and about
350 pupils were reached. Voluntary counselling and testing for HIV/AIDS
was also offered.
Music concert in aid of HIV Hope Project
A
music concert was held in Hogsback recently, as a fundraiser for the HIV
Hope Project.
On
the right is clarinist Angela Wild, BMus Honours student at Rhodes
University. The pianist is Mariel Ilusorio, music lecturer at Rhodes
University, Grahamstown.
On the left is pianist Peter Cartwright, final year BMus student at Rhodes University, Grahamstown.
US Consul General handing over award to HIV Hope Project
On
Monday 28th September 2009, the US Consul General came to East London from
Cape Town, to hand over the awards to those projects in the Eastern Cape
which had been chosen to be funded for the next year by the US
President's Fund.
The photograph shows Dr Alberta Mayberry handing over the award to Dr Norma van Niekerk, founder of HIV Hope.
Dr Mayberry's message was focused and clear: The three Cs of community service are Commitment, Collaboration and Cooperation. It was not about the US President's Fund, nor is it about the team that does the job; rather, it is all about those whom we serve.
Our team is growing!
One
of the serious challenges in our work is to ensure that patients who are
on ARV treatment adhere to the treatment regime. So far, our single
Adherence Monitor / HIV Counsellor has been hard pressed to keep up.
We are pleased that Mr Khululekile Gubevu has recently been appointed as our second Adherence Officer / HIV counsellor. He was photographed giving feedback on the workshop on People Living With Aids (PLWA) which he had just attended.
Rev Scott Planting writes from Maine, USA: A good story ...
This little boy (in photo) is named Alex Messer;
he is 10 and he is deaf; he and his mother Mechelle are very much
part of our church community. Part of our commitment to him is to
provide a sign language interpreter so he can attend worship and Sunday
school.
Over the summer he saved change and last Sunday he presented Ed Jesteadt with a plastic maple syrup container full of coins--$17.41--for your work. He did this totally on his own; it was a surprise for us. He wants to be a doctor!
Sometimes when I get discouraged and wonder what is going on in the parish, a little wonder in the shape of a 10 year old boy walks in to church and gives you a jug full of coins to help people who are sick and living half the world away. Thanks be to God!
Addressing the nutritional needs of our patients
Our project recently started with vegetable gardens in three different villages. These gardens are geographically far apart, namely:
- Hogsback garden (on the photo); it had to be made baboon-proof!
- Sheshega village
- Auckland village
The idea behind this initiative is mainly that patients would
have greens for (a) themselves,
(b) their neighbours, (c) selling any
surplus and earning something to help alleviate poverty.
HIV Hope Project Board visits Keiskamma Art Project
On
27th August 2009, Norma, Elena, Bukelwa and Jeannette visited
Ms Florence Danais, manager of the Keiskamma Art Project in the seaside
hamlet of Hamburg, Eastern Cape. Our aim was to explore the possibility
of starting a much smaller Craft project in Hogsback. It has been a
dream of Norma’s for a while, as a means of providing an income for
those HIV+ patients who are unemployed.
Our first stop was Workshop 1 and the small
shop, to admire embroidered cushion covers, beaded sling bags and beaded
jewellery. We gasped at the intricate tapestry, sewn so evenly that we
were sure it had been machine stitched.
We walked across the road and up a hill to Florence’s office, pausing to admire the rows of healthy green spinach, herbs and onions. It was here we quizzed Florence while we drank a very welcome cup of Rooibos tea. Florence gave us a lot of advice on running a project in such a way as to keep the employees working effectively and profitably while keeping the Project viable.
An important piece of information was not to decide on a craft that we have the skills to teach but does not interest the crafters, but to discover their interests and work around them. She also stressed the need to teach the crafters themselves how to be creative and make their own designs.
Elena, a keen felter, drooled over the felting workshop, and we were all fascinated by the crafters’ innovative use of this technique.
We went to Workshop 2 and met the beaders doing three wall hangings for one of the 2010 stadiums. Bukelwa soon sat down and started to help the beaders thread golden glass beads onto their pre-cut wire, while the rest of us wandered through to the screen printing and ceramic studio.
We were amazed at the variety and quality of their crafts, and returned inspired to initiate our project as soon as possible.
Visit from MATE delegation (August 2009)
Mother Theresa once reflected that there is
more hunger for love and appreciation in this world, than for bread.
This is our experience on a daily basis. Mankind wants to feel loved and
cared for.
When Rev Scott Planting and Rev George Hardy
came all the way from Maine, USA, to show an interest in the work which
HIV Hope Project is currently doing, we felt loved and cared for.
As one of our main sponsors this group has, yet again, proved that they not only want to support the work of the project financially, but also through encouragement and care.
HIV Hope Project featured on Algoa FM (10 June, 2009)
This morning I was given the opportunity to share something about the HIV Hope Project and its work on Algoa FM radio station. During the live interview we talked about our objectives, how we go about our work, our successes, and our most pressing needs. As our contact details could be shared as well, we hope that this will lead to further contact from the organisations and the people of the Eastern Cape.
Algoa Cares is a weekly 10-minute slot on Algoa FM. Its aim is to publicise the work and needs of community service projects that change people's lives in the Eastern Cape. Each week, one such project is highlighted. Algoa FM receives more than 300 requests during the year, from which they have to choose which ones to feature. It is therefore a privilege that our project could be highlighted in this way.
US Ambassador's Community Grant (5 June, 2009)
Today, the HIV Hope Project was assessed by Mr David R Haeems, from the US Embassy in Cape Town, with a view to a possible grant. He was impressed with what he found, and on leaving the HIV clinic he indicated that the HIV Hope Project would definitely be accredited; this is a prerequisite for receiving a grant from the US Embassy. This made us believe that we stand a good chance of receiving such a grant later this year.
Statistics of the HIV Hope Project
We have 50 patients currently registered with the project and on ARVs; 47 are on Regime 1a or 1b, while three are on Regime 2.
Our patients include 19 males and 31 females, and range from toddlers to 55 years of age. They span the socio-economic spectrum, while their education level ranges from illiterate to university graduates.
We do on average 20 new HIV rapid tests per month, of which approximately 30% are positive.
Peer Educator Training updated (15 April, 2009)
On the 15th April 2009, an update on the Peer Educators Training was organised. Yabonga sent one of their team leaders to Hogsback to facilitate the workshop which was held at the Hogsback Inn Hotel.
Ten peer educators attended the workshop, and fruitful discussions were held. Two local team leaders were democratically elected, and they will steer our peer educators during the next year.
The 4th SA AIDS Conference 31 March – 3 April 2009 (Dr Norma van Niekerk)
I was privileged to attend this conference in Durban at the end of March. The scientific papers were excellent. Five tracks ran parallel each day, after the plenary sessions, and it was hard to decide on which track to follow.
One of the plenary session speakers was
Prof Wafaa El-Sadr, Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at Columbia
University College of Physicians and Surgeons and Mailman School of
Public Health.
Prof El-Sadr, who received her MD degree from Cairo University in Egypt, is founder and Director of the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs (ICAP).
Since we as an NPO benefit directly from ICAP (supplying our ARVs), it was wonderful to meet this woman in person.