Community Engagement

Tshepo means "hope"

Monday morning we began our week of community engagement at the Tshepo foundation. Meghan, Margo, Christina and I arrived at the foundation shortly after 9am. We were greeted by Peter and Petro Howe, the couple that began Tshepo in November 2000. Their aim is to uplift the community by focusing on the children in Bloemfontein. One hundred and seventy children are enrolled in their daycare program, but due to the holiday many children did not attend. Regularly, they attend classes, receive two meals a day and have a play time in the yard of their facility. Recently a wellness center has been initiated within Tshepo, and a local doctor voluntarily offers her services to the children and staff. The physician will refer the children and staff to hospitals in the area if she detects any health issues. We had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Rowan, Peter and Petro personally, and they explained in detail what they do. We were able to interact with the children and play with them for a period of time.

Pre-schoolers at Tshepo

We then were transported to Lebone Village, an orphanage in Bloemfontein for children with HIV. We arrived around at the time the children were being served lunch. We helped by spooning their meal into a bowl with milk. The children are very well mannered during their meal time, waiting for everyone to receive their bowl and reciting a prayer before eating. We were able to play with the children just before they took their nap. 

Playing games at REACH

On Tuesday we began our community engagement at REACH, an after school care program within a township in Bloemfontein. Normally the kids do not attend until after school, but because of the holiday many were present today. We played ice breaker games with the kids and sang along with their songs, such as "This little light of mine". The kids split into groups for a competition. The program is emphasizing drug awareness and prevention during the holiday week. Today the competition involved making a poster within their groups that shows the impact that drug use has in certain areas of their lives. 

Tshepo provides the children with jackets and hats 

We visited Tshepo for a second time, where we took at tour of the township in which the care facility is located. We visited a home that was built in the area by the government and also saw homes that were made from tin and blankets. Many of the children that attend Tshepo live in homes such as these. We returned from our walk to play with the children. They are so excited to have visitors and are very loving. 

Children playing at Tshepo. 

At noon, we visited an in home nursing facility in the township called New Horizons. A team of five nurses provide care to many people in the community by visiting homes. They have very limited supplies to work with, and struggle to see all the patients that need care in the community. The nurses walk to their destination to make house calls. We were able to visit patients with two of the nurses. The first patient I saw suffered a stroke. The single mother lives in a shanty house with her two young children. She is unable to walk or care for herself and depends on the nurses for aid. We also accompanied the nurses to the home of a woman who suffers from AIDS. They provide her with anti-retroviral drugs from the clinic and are also treating her for tuberculosis.