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Rural Village Program
Since 2003, Sibusiso has partnered with the Mahlungulu Foundation, working in Numlaco, a small rural village in the Esikelo district of the Mbizana region, which is in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.
Our current projects in Numlaco are:
Rural Village Nurse Project
Background:
 Sibusiso in collaboration with the Mahlungulu Foundation in March of 2006 hired an experienced professional nurse to serve the needs of Numlaco Village. The present nurse is currently training, overseeing, and coordinating Home Based Care Workers and is providing care to villagers who come to the clinic room of the Mahlungulu Foundation Center. The home based care workers can refer patients to the Nurse Clinic room the days she is there, or can arrange for a home visit if a patient is too ill to travel to the clinic. The Nurse, who is a very experienced clinician from the Mbizana region, coordinates care for these patients and refers very ill patients to the nearest hospital.
Before a nurse was hired, there were no paid health care providers in the Numlaco. Like all rural areas of the Eastern Cape, the living conditions are very poor with 93% having no access to sanitation and clean water. This area is also hard hit by HIV/AIDS with prevalence rates nearing 40%. The vast majority of people have no access or contact with the health care system.
Common health problems in Mbizana include Pulmonary tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and other opportunistic infections, Malnutrition, Pneumonia, Diarrheal diseases, Problems related to pregnancy and delivery, Hypertension, Epilepsy, Skin infections and Accidents.
Duties of the Rural Village Nurse include:
- Perform a complete client assessment and diagnosis of opportunistic infections.
- Monitor the progression of HIV infection to AIDS.
- Provide treatment for all minor conditions including opportunistic infections within her scope of practice.
- Supervise patients on Anti Retroviral Therapy and Tuberculosis treatment, providing giving support and education.
- Provide palliative care for patients at terminal stage, including pain control and emotional support to patients and their families.
- Refer cases to the relevant persons for further assistance, e.g. medical doctor, social worker etc.
- Provide crisis management in cases of rape, family violence and provide prophylactic care.
- Provide care and support to the orphans and vulnerable children.
- Provide in-service education to the home based care workers.
- Liaise with all service providers to ensure continuity of care.
- Referrals when necessary to the two government hospitals, government clinics and to the medical practitioners operating in the area.
Gardens from Lynne Project
Gardens from Lynne is a celebration of Lynne Gray Kelleter’s life. Lynne was a kind and generous woman who was an avid gardener and was a strong advocate for those less fortunate. Proceeds from Gardens from Lynne go toward maintaining a vegetable garden that will feeds & sustain the Numlaco community’s most ill and most impoverished. Many families in this community receive fresh vegetables, herbs and flowers in memory of Lynne.
Participants and supporters of the Gardens from Lynne Project will:
- Oversee the care of and success of the community garden
- Educate community members how to properly plant and tend the garden
- Provide skills-training to those in the community who would like to learn more about cultivation and ultimately create their own gardens
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