Tsibogang

Mission Statement:

We as Christians from different denominations are called to provide empathic care, support, counseling and unconditional love to those who are infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in the Central District of NW Province in South Africa  and to assist in the de-stigmatization of that condition.

We are also called to offer to the youth quality education, guidance and direction concerning human sexuality and a Christian life style that empowers them to make informed conscientious choices that prevent further infections.

So far four major projects could be initiated by our organization:

The first project is called Tshepanang (Trust each other). This project is concerned with the teaching of life skills for HIV prevention in middle and high schools. In 2007 35 peer educators taught the “Life at the Crossroad” curriculum in 15 schools reaching more than 4380 students. This program focuses on character building, information on HIV/AIDS and other STIs, assertiveness and decision making skills. It uses interactive teaching methods and is complemented by songs and dramas. Young people are encouraged to build strong and lasting relationships and to abstain from early sexual activity. Peer educators met every fortnight in three regional groups where they receive on-going in-service training from mentors.

- The second project is called Tlamelang (Care for each other!). This is a Home Based Care Project. In 2007 we have 85 trained home care givers who are actively involved in regular home visits to chronically and terminally ill clients. They assist families to meet the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of their clients. As HIV is still a highly stigmatized condition in our area we place special emphasis on counseling. Beside yearly five day workshops we have established an on-going counseling course that is held in our centre every fortnight and gives the home care givers the opportunity for debriefing and enhancing their counseling skills.

The home care givers meet at least once per month in their regional groups with a mentor who supervises and advises them. The mentor is usually a qualified nurse. So far we have established eight regional groups that include disadvantaged suburbs of Mafikeng and villages in the Zeerust Sub district. In the last financial year a total of 779 patients were visited and a total of 11,822 visits were conducted.

 By conducting home visits in their communities our home care givers were confronted with the ever increasing numbers of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) That’s why in 2006 we started a special project to help the orphans and vulnerable children in our area that we call Godisang (Bring up!). More than one thousand OVC have been registered on our data base so far. They have received blankets and mattresses. Our home care givers render psychosocial support, nutritional education and counselling to OVC and their guardians. They also assist in obtaining child support grant and foster care grant for the children. As the approval of grants is a lengthy procedure the neediest of the orphans receive food parcels on a temporal basis. OVC and their guardians are also encouraged to work in one of the vegetable gardens that could be established in seven regions of the project.

In January 2007 we were able to open Godisang Early Learning Centre in Magogoe/Mafikeng that caters for 30 OVC. They are receiving psychosocial support and age appropriate education as well as two meals pr day.

- The forth project is called Amogelang (Accept!). This is a support group of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). It has currently 25 members. They meet every Saturday in our centre to help each other to cope with the stigma that is still attached to their condition and encourage each other to live a positive life. Many of them are already on ART (Antiretroviral Treatment) that is available in the public hospitals of our district.

They do awareness campaigns in the local communities to encourage other PLWHA to found their own support groups

Contact Details:

NPO number of the organization:   023-524-NPO