February 26, 2007
DFL starts new Home Based Care Project for patients dying at their homes!
By Heinrich Botes and Sicelo Mthembu Doctors for Life International started a brand new project to care for Terminal patients in the Lusikisiki-district of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The project is managed in partnership with the Uniting Reformed Church of Africa (formerly the Reformed Church in Africa, a sister church of the Dutch Reformed Church).
The first 33 church volunteers were trained at the mission house in Lusikisiki. The Introduction course lasted 5 days between 12 and 16 February 2007. DFL’s team consisted of Heinrich Botes, the course presenter and Sicelo Mthembu.
Heinrich Botes, DFL Trainer, making a point during training
The plan is to train more volunteers in the second part of the year. DFL will support the home based care-givers with more training and site-visits. There is a great need for food, blankets, gloves, medicines, linen-savers, etc and donations will be welcomed. The trained volunteers also need to be equipped with basic equipment (including care kit, rain jackets, shoes, hats) wile donations towards the running expenses (fuel, administration, etc) are urgently needed.
The mission is located in a beautiful part of the Lusikisiki-town.
Lusikisiki is a pretty town with tree-lined dirt roads
Local businesses, Shoprite and Chicken’n Meat, opened their hearts to the project and donated food to offer the students refreshments and lunch.
The food was donated by Shoprite and Chicken ‘n Meat in Lusikisiki and brought smiles to the faces of the students!
The group interacted well with each other and worked in small groups on various assignments.
Solving problems in groups makes life so much easier!!
Lusikisiki is situated near the beautiful coastal town, Port St Johns.
The DFL team enjoyed a visit to Port St Johns, just a short drive from Lusikisiki
Sicelo Mthembu, a young UNISA student just recently joined DFL and he attended the course as student in Home Based Care. He reports:
The Report about Lusikisiki
We left the office on Sunday morning about 11:00 and we arrived in Lusikisiki about 17:30 in the evening. We immediately started to finalise arrangements for the week.
The course started at 8:30 and ended between 15:30 and 16:00. During the day we enjoyed tea and lunch together with the other fellow students. The food was provided by Chicken & Meat and Shoprite at Lusikisiki. and we would like to say “thank you” for your support. Mama Christina was both student and cook for 33 people!!
Mama Christina, our cook and fellow-student!!
Day one was a bit busy and unusual because it was the first time to have such a course at Lusikisiki but with positive attitude and willing hearts we managed to make the day a success!! But from the second day onwards, we were happy HBC students, enjoying the class which included both group works and some well-presented lectures.
So we enjoyed a blessed time in Lusikisiki!! We were well looked after, including the accommodation. We appreciated the warm welcome of the Uniting Reformed Church in Africa. “Thank you for your support and we hope that HBC will grow strong”!!!