Hard work at the Randfontein Show

 
Another successful Randfontein Show has come and gone, and once again Carryou Ministry, together with the Gauteng Department of Health was there, raising money and awareness, and offering health-screening and counselling services to thousands of show visitors.

Carryou Healthcare and Testing Programme sets new records

Carryou Ministry's Healthcare and Testing Programme (HCT) continues to grow.
 The programme is done in partnership with the Gauteng Department of Health, and in the past financial year reached even more people than the year before.
 Under the leadership of Programme Manager, Mzi Tshikitsha, twenty four people divided into two groups targeted high-traffic zones in Randfontein and surrounding areas.
 Gazebos containing testing, education and counselling facilities were set up in shopping malls, churches, factories, taxi-ranks and at informal settlements.
 Communities were educated and voluntarily tested for:

• Tuberculosis
• HIV/STI and condom use
• High blood pressure
• Sugar Diabetes
• Primary health.

 "Where necessary people were referred to clinics and other relevant health professionals," says Mzi. "For example, after testing, 1 717 people found to be suffering from hypertension were referred, 502 people for HIV and TB and over 15 000 people received counselling."
 More than one and a half million condoms were distributed, almost 400 000 more than in the previous year and over 125 000 people were reached.
 "There can be no doubt we made a difference and saved many lives," says Mzi. "We look forward to even better next year. Our long term vision is to see no new HIV and TB infections or deaths."

Programme Manager, Mzi Tshikitsha

Some of the team

Health screening results from the Randfontein Show

 Once again Carryou Ministry and the Gauteng Department of Health was at the recent Randfontein Show to conduct health screening and testing.
 "The number of people tested was considerably lower than last year," says Project Manager, Mzi Tshitsha. "We are not sure why that was the case but it could be people were afraid to be tested and know their status."
 510 show visitors were screened for a variety of conditions including, sugar-diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity levels, HIV and TB.
 "The good news is, this year only five people, three males and two females, were found to be HIV-positive," says Mzi."From a percentage point-of-view this is much better than last year and we believe people in the area may be altering their behaviours.
 "In one case we tested a woman whose blood pressure was so high that her life was in immediate danger and we immediately summoned the medical facilities present on the grounds to come and treat her. I think we may have saved her life," he says.
 "We have ordered a number of sophisticated machines to test cholesterol and at next year's Randfontein Show will be offering that as an additional service."

Lives saved and an impact made

The Team

 In August 2014 the Department of Health introduced two programs, Social Mobilization and HIV Counseling and Testing. These projects were set up to operate in alliance with local health clinics and communities.
 They are vital to the clinics, as they help those institutions achieve the targets prescribed by the Department of Health.
 The Carryou Ministry Social Mobilization program is a process where a wide range of people within the community are engaged with, to raise awareness of and education about important health issues. Carryou Health Coordinators educate, present information and keep members of the community updated on important health issues.
 The HIV Counseling and Testing program provides services to individuals, couples and families and, throughout the year, a large number of informal settlements and companies were visited on a regular basis.
 The counselors are highly trained and work closely with allied organizations and professions. Testing results are available within 20 minutes and people who test positive are counseled and referred to clinics and other health practitioners for further treatment.

Statistics

 During the year 6553 people were tested for HIV and other ailments. Of these 3694 were males and 2859 females. 120 females tested positive, as opposed to 85 males.
 784 913 male condoms and 84 622 female condoms were distributed. 181 TB cases were detected and referred for further treatment and 6993 people were tested for hypertension.
 "There is no doubt, these two programs have had a major impact and saved many lives," says Mzi Tshikitsha, Program Manager.

Feedback: The Health Programmes

Mzi Tshikitsha, Health Programmes Manager

 The Carryou Ministry Annual General Meeting recently took place and, as usual, a number of reports were presented. Over the next few weeks some of these reports will be summarised and published on the blog.
 We kick off with the Health Programmes Report by Programme Manager, Mzi Tshikitsha.
Programmes encompassed:

• Home Based Care
• Ward Based Outreach Team
• HIV Counseling and Testing
• Social Mobilisation.

This post will report on Home Based Care and Ward Based Outreach

Home Based Care
 
 Started in 2000 the programme provides home-based care and support to patients in the Randfontein area who suffer from life-threatening or terminal illnesses. Care is provided by people in the community, who are supported by trained Community Health Workers (CHW) and a supervisor. In addition there is a professional nurse and a Carryou Ministry Social Auxiliary Worker.
 The Home Based Care Programme team consists of 43 trained community health workers who have, over the years, cared for thousands of people. They provide the following services to home-based patients:

• Bathing
• Meal preparation
• Household chore help
• Health education
• Medication intake monitoring (TB and ARV)
• Pain and other symptom Control
• Bereavement counseling and referral services.

Ward Based Outreach Programme

 The Department of Health took away all trained and untrained CHWs in Carryou Ministry and based them in surrounding clinics. Those who were untrained were given training. They report to the clinic sister who oversees their work and daily activities and sometimes accompanies them when they visit patients. The programme is based on a Cuban model that involves everyone in holistically helping a patient.
 The role of Community Health Workers in the programme is:

• Promoting health and preventing illness
• Conducting structured household assessments to identify health needs
• Providing psychosocial support to community members
• Conducting community assessments and mobilsing around the needs of the community
• Identifying and managing minor health problems
• Providing a support continuum of care through service co-ordination with other relevant service providers

 CHWs are required to adopt an integrated approach in how they manage health problems. This includes:

• Treatment literacy supported with good quality educational tools
• Practical adherence advice eg. on scheduling doses
• Regular pill counts, particularly in early phases of treatment
• Identifying and briefing treatment buddies/supporters
• Provision of supportive tools such as pill boxes
• Availabilty of support groups
• Assistance with collection of tablets and negotiating with local clinics
• Early identification of individuals and households at risk of poor adherence

Meet our people: Mary Jane Lekgoe

 "If I can help one person a day who says: 'I feel better', I've had an amazing day!" says Mary Jane Lekgoe (38), Site Co-ordinator of the Carryou Ministry/Gauteng Department of Health Testing and Social Mobilisation Programme.
 The mother of a 16 year-old daughter, Mary Jane grew up in Mohlakeng, Randfontein and in 2002 moved to Finsbury.
 She started her career with Carryou in 2008, working at the clinic in Koksoord.
 "I always wanted to be a social worker but there was no money to study further," she says. "Then I saw a Department of Health advert looking for HIV Counselors and applied.
 "In 2008 Carryou took over all the clinic counselors and I met Mzi (Tshikitsha). He recognised my potential and enthusiasm and arranged for me to study at the HIVSA College in Johannesburg, where I completed the 18-month National Certificate in Counselling.
 "After I graduated I was transferred from the clinic to the Carryou Head Office and promoted to Site Co-ordinator," says Mary Jane.
 Every day she must ensure the 12 counsellors who report to her know exactly where they need to go and what is required of them.
 "We work both on the streets and at company's premises," she says. "For example, sometimes we set up gazebos, testing and counseling facilities at taxi ranks. In addition, it is my job to liaise and make arrangements with companies, so we can provide services to their staff members."

Significant impact

 According Mary Jane, the health-testing programme makes a significant impact in Randfontein. Many people avoid going for testing at clinics, as they are apprehensive about seeing someone who knows them.
 "But, because we test for multiple conditions, including sugar diabetes and high blood pressure and we guarantee absolute confidentiality, people are happy to come to us.
 "I absolutely love my job," she says. "It is incredibly fulfilling to help people and change their lives."
 When not working, Mary Jane is involved in church activities.
 "I am a committee member at my church," she says. "That keeps me very busy and I still plan to get that University Degree in Social Work, one day."

An update from Vleikop

The Department of Health was there offering free testing and screening facilities to the local community. The programme is part of a partnership Carryou Ministry has with the Gauteng Department of Health.

 There is plenty going on at Vleikop, the site of Carryou Ministry's agricultural project.

 We popped in this week to take a few pictures.

Free testing and screening is offered for a variety of conditions.

Winter crops that will be used to provide food for Carryou's feeding schemes, are in the ground and doing well.

Addressing local organisations and business people about HIV-infection in Randfontein

 Recently, Mzi Tshikitsha, Project Leader of the Testing and Social Mobilisation Programme, an initiative operated in partnership with the Gauteng Department of Health, had the opportunity to address members of the Randfontein Publicity Association (RPA).
 The RPA is comprised of local businesses, schools, NGOs and churches and, amongst other events, holds monthly networking meetings.
 "We conducted over a thousand screenings at the Randfontein Show, earlier in the year," says Mzi, "and discovered there is a significant number of HIV-positive people in the local white community. It quickly became obvious, more education and intervention is urgently required in this sector of our society.
 "HIV and AIDS is not confined to poverty-stricken areas and knows no colour lines," Mzi told the RPA members. "Our youth in particular, are at risk and we need to educate them to alter their behaviour and encourage them to be safe and responsible."
 He urged schools, NGOs and businesses to make use of the free services offered by Carryou Ministry and the Department of Health.
 "For example, if the school your kids attend, is putting on a sports event, let us set up a gazebo where kids and parents can ask questions and get educational literature," he says.
 "Invite us to address the congregation and youth at your church. Knowlege and education could save the life of your child."



If you would like to learn more about the Carryou Ministry Testing and Social Mobilisation Programme, or make use of their services, call Carryou at 011 412 2013
 

Testing and Social Mobilisation Programme produces positive results

 The Carryou Ministry Testing and Social Mobilisation programme, carried out in partnership with the Gauteng Government, is producing significant, positive, results.
 This is according to Programme Manager, Mzi Tshikitsha.
 "We are seeing definite changes in the lifestyles and habits of many in the communities we serve," he says. "People are using condoms, not only themselves but are also distributing them to friends. This project has been going for five and a half months and, in that period, I estimate we have distributed close to 450 000 male and female condoms.
 "The main reason for that, is we are delivering condoms directly to the communities, making them more accessible and available. People no longer have to visit a clinic that is often far away from where they live," he says.
 "Although we do not yet have the final numbers, all indications from our testing programmes, show the rate of new HIV infections is falling dramatically."

Challenges

 But Mzi is quick to acknowledge there are challenges.
 "Youngsters, particularly boys, believe they are immortal and know it all," he says. "There is sometimes resistance because they figure they've heard it all before. But the fact is, things are constantly changing. For example, the treatment today is very different from what it was not long ago.
 "Over the next few weeks we plan to increasingly run the programme in schools in the area," says Mzi.
 The Testing and Social Mobilisation Programme sees pop-up facilities set up in communities, factories and schools, for example. Co-ordinators are there to provide health education and counselling and members of the public can get free testing for HIV, diabetes, TB, cervical cancer and high blood pressure.
 Affected people are referred to appropriate healthcare professionals, social workers and counsellors.
 "But prevention and precaution will always be better than cure," says Rev. Lawrence Mabaso, Carryou Ministry, General Manager, "and, in the future, Government may well place even greater emphasis on education and the prevention of these diseases.
 "With an ever-increasing demand for limited social welfare resources, that makes sense."

Carryou partners with the Department of Health in life-saving screening and testing programme

Testing includes, HIV, hypertension, diabetes and pap smears

 Carryou Ministry recently received funding from the Department of Health to embark on a programme of mobile testing and health screening that will help save lives in the Randfontein area.
 "We visit factories and communities where trained team members test for HIV, diabetes and hypertension. In addition, a sister from the clinic does pap smears," says Mzi Tshikitsha, manager of the programme.
 "Last month 1 170 people were tested and referred for further where necessary. The initiative has been immensely successful and well-supported. Bringing services right to the people make it much more convenient and quicker than having to go to a clinic."
 The current programme is scheduled to run until the end of March 2015.

Mzi Tshikitsha

The team