Khaya Centre – Mount Olive Johannesburg, South Africa
Short description
Mount Olive’s main activities are aimed at changing behaviour, care and support through Community Based HIV/AIDS programmes in the Lehae community. The Lehae community is known for its high numbers of unemployment, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS infections and poverty. These social problems have caused many children to drop out of school to take care of their sick parents or younger siblings. Mount Olive offers the community help to face these challenges.
The Kaya Centre supports the African model that children can best be helped within their own community. For the children from 3 to 6 years, Mount Olive provides an Early Childhood Development (ECD) and food. This part is supported by Nelson Schoenen & Orange Babies. For the older children, going to school, Mount Olive has an after-school programme offering education, mentoring, psychosocial support and food. After school the older children receive a hot meal and after that they participate in a number of activities like homework sessions, cultural dancing, singing, fun and educational games.
Goals:
- Preventing HIV and AIDS transmission.
- Ensure the children’s rights are safeguarded.
- Ensure that children orphaned by the consequences of HIV/AIDS or other terminal illnesses are well taken care of and that their lives are as normal as possible despite their unfortunate start in life.
- Helping children escape from their difficult position.
- Ensure the children get what they need through a holistic approach.
Results:
Since 1 April the centre has its own clinic. This is of great importance because there are no hospitals in or near Lehae. In the clinic people are examined for:
- HIV/AIDS • Blood pressure
- Monitoring weight, healthy BMI
- Healthy diet
- Hearing and eyesight
- Skin
- TB
- Malnutrition (0-6 years: immunisation)
- This year again a large group of children went to primary school, and with success.
