Bhubezi CHC Launch

Celebrating the occasion with tribal dancers.

Ben Magara (CEO of Anglo Coal), Richard Branson,
Dr. Hugo Tempelman (founder of the Ndlovu Medical Centre),
Eric Bost (US Ambassador to ZA) & a local government official
celebrate with champagne atop the roof of the Bhubezi CHC.

So sorry for my neglect in posting blogs the last couple of weeks. I don't want to offer excuses, but I do have a valid reason: I was busy planning the launch of the Bhubezi Community Healthcare Centre that occured on Friday, 27 October.

It was a tremendous success attended by Richard Branson; Hugo & Liesje Tempelman, founders of the original Ndlovu Clinic; Eric Bost, the US Ambassador to ZA; corporate & private benefactors and ZA government officials.

The day started out with rain, but by the time the ceremony began it had let up. The skies were cloudy and the temperature cool, but it was a welcome relief with the approach of the African summer. The energy was high amongst the guests and operationally very mellow.

The festivities have carried on throughout the weekend at Ulusaba Private Game Reserve, where it is said the real work will get done: securing more funds for additional clinics throughout ZA and Southern Africa. It is anticipated that at least 10 more clinics will go up in the next few years. I am really in the midst of monumental events on the healthcare front.

I have been offered a position as manager of the Bhubezi Community Healthcare Centre. I haven't accepted as of yet; I am still absorbing life, activities and opportunities available to me in ZA, but expect to make a decision within the next month.

I will be back to working in the communities this week and will again start with regular postings.

Much love---

Bhubezi Community Healthcare Centre

October 27 will see the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Bhubezi Community Healthcare Centre in Lillydale, the second of its kind in South Africa, funded by Virgin Unite, USAID, PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief—a US organization) and Anglo Coal. The Bhubezi CHC is a general healthcare facility that will specialize in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria. The original clinic, Ndlovu, is located in Elandsdoorn, of the Limpopo province. Opened 15 years ago by Dr. Hugo Tempelman and his wife, Liesje, the Ndlovu Clinic has made an indelible impact in the battle of South Africa’s biggest killers.

The opening of such a clinic in a rural environment will radically alter the impact of disease in this area; reaching out to over 70,000 people. Currently, people have to travel over two hours to the nearest medical center—consider how difficult it would be to get there when most people don’t even own a vehicle, let alone have payment for treatment. Because of the complications in traveling so far for medical attention, they often seek help too late in the progression of their disease.

Phase 1 of the project is the 12-hour Bhubezi CHC, which will be open to see patients at the end of the year. The clinic will treat up to 150 patients a day. No one will be denied treatment based on lack of funds. In fact, USAID and PEPFAR cover the costs of medication and treatment when patient’s CD4 count falls below 200 (at which point they have AIDS). The clinic will also have four beds, where bed-ridden patients can stay until they’ve recovered well enough to return to home.

Phase 2 of the project is a maternity ward, where expectant mothers who are HIV positive can be treated and educated to prevent the transmission of the disease to their child. If a woman seeks treatment before her twentieth week of pregnancy, chances are nearly 100% that her child will be born HIV negative. Consider this: The maternity ward at the Elandsdoorn Ndlovu Clinic has been hugely successful in preventing the transmission of HIV to newborns. Out of 188 births, only one child was born HIV positive. The maternity ward at Bhubezi CHC will break ground next week and should start seeing patients by February.

Another monumental feature of the Bhubezi CHC is the on-site laboratory. Set within a retro-fitted freight container, the lab can conduct all blood tests on-site, allowing patients to receive their results within 24-48 hours. The lab is also equipped with x-ray machines for TB screening.

I am ecstatic that I will be witness to the opening of such a remarkable facility. Great strides are being made, who knows—I could be part of it.

To read further about Ndlovu Clinic, visit: www.ndlovu.com

Bliss in the Bush

Stoop of my kaya.

The entry to my kaya.

I am fortunate to have been so warmly received here at Ulusaba. I live in the staff village nestled at the base of a koppi (hill), among front-line employees of Ulusaba. The back-of-the-house staff live in smaller units in a neighboring complex. The staff village is surrounded by electric fencing to keep out the predators; although elephants, leopards and hyenas have been known to make an appearance.

Llane, the general manager of the property, has given me my own kaya, or cottage, for the duration of my stay. It is a studio, for the most part, with a bathroom and kitchenette. The roof is thatched, the floor concrete. It suits me quite well!

I brought with me a few personal items: framed photos, treasured books, yoga deck and music. I am absolutely content with my minimalist lifestyle and feel that I am not lacking in anything.

ALTHOUGH, I have yet to take to cooking here. I did bring my recipes and aprons, but on the one occasion that I cooked a favorite recipe, I was disappointed with the outcome. Everything will have to be standardized again, what with the different flavors of spices and food. I have taken to eating a lot of nuts and vegetables. Gregg, the co-founder of Pride & Purpose, and his wife, Ilse, have been very gracious to me, feeding me dinner many times.

We are self-contained here—no weekly trash pick-up. In fact, I lobbied Llane about implanting the practice of digesting trash: dig a large hole, enclose it with sheet metal (leaving the base exposed), put a secure lid on it and use it to decompose food scraps and paper products. (Thanks to Kevin for the beta!) There is a spazza in the staff village—a small grocery store. I’ve been provided an allowance to buy food.

So, I wake in the morning to the music of birds greeting the day, brew a cup of tea, do a few soduku puzzles, eat some nuts and do a half an hour of yoga. Its absolutely blissful!

Photo gallery

I was fortunate to be able to go on a game drive this am.
Saw a giraffe, dead less than a day
by the hands of two lions.
Saw Makwela, the resident female leaopard,
with a kill in the tree while
her cub looked on from another tree.

On Sunday, October 8, employees from Virgin Holiday
came to the village of Dumphries to offer charitable help.
Here, these women experience the chores
that women and children do on a daily basis:
carrying water at least 2 kilometers
from the nearest water souce, dirty river water.

Children from the Special Needs Center
writing and drawing in the dirt.
The trend started when I wrote
my name out for them.

Children of the Special Needs Center.

The "kitchen" of a creche (day care/pre-school)
in Dumphries. This was one location that
received paraffin stoves from Pride & Purpose.

Liniith & Gift

Gift's Home: Note the garage on the left,
where Gift and nine children originally called home.

Liniith's home, another Pride & Purpose project.

Liniith & Prince in their kitchen.
Behind them is the paraffin stove that was given to them that day.
Note how the pots are displayed, likely never used.

The orphans that I referred to in AN APPEAL live at the homes of Liniith and Gift, outside of Dumphries. There are fourteen children total, from the ages of two to eighteen. Most of them are fortunate to attend school. All of them are fortunate that Pride & Purpose has taken them under their wing.

Pride & Purpose came to know of Liniith as she worked at Ulusaba until she was too sickly from HIV that she had to quit. She infected her youngest child, Prince, with HIV through breast feeding.

Pride & Purpose raised money to build Liniith and her sister, Gift, proper homes. When Pride & Purpose became involved with the two, Gift and nine children were sleeping in a garage. They now have a home with 4 bedrooms and proper beds. Liniith, too, has a home that was recently built with multiple bedrooms. She has a modern kitchen by rural South African standards, with a range and cupboards. You’ll find it curious that the range is unplugged, that items seem to be stored on top of the cupboards rather than in and her cookware is displayed like a treasure with stickers still on them.

Gregg checks in on the ladies weekly—he has become their doctor, caterer and advocate.

Last week, Gregg (co-founder of Pride & Purpose) and I delivered to Liniith and Gift paraffin stoves—they resemble, and in fact could be used as, camp stoves. The ladies would much prefer to cook with the paraffin rather than the range. Their staple is Pro Nutra, a fine cereal with a day’s supply of nutrients.

Liniith has been so ill on occasions that she couldn’t even walk. Gregg treated her with muti (there is not a proper word for this medicine; muti is a general word in Africa for medicine), a tincture made with African potato and African artemisinin, among other things. Liniith had recovered her health within a week, as had the open sores on her body.

So, the ladies exist day by day, enriched by what Pride & Purpose brings.

Direction needed....

Hello friends,

I would like your direction/advice on the following:

1) Handi-crafts/art ideas (ideally using recycled and reclaimed material that can be found in excess in this area--think tires, bottle caps, etc.) that the locals can make and offer for sale.

2) I've yet to introduce you to the med clinic that will start seeing patients at the end of the year (a post that will come soon), but I'd like to get medical students/residents over here to work in the clinic for a semester. The clinic will offer HIV/AIDS testing & treatment, and also treat TB & malaria. So, connect me with people in the medical field or involved in medical education.

3) Second-hand computers. There are people here who can refurbish them--then we can get them in the schools, libraries, etc.

4) Grant writers. So many ideas, but need a professional to put them to paper and get the funding.

Looking forward to your suggestions--email me: erinkaiser@hotmail.com

Much love--
erin

Another Quote for Contemplation--

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened.

Happiness never decreases by being shared.
-- Buddha

KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE: Donald's Story

The following was written by Donald days before his death, as requested by Gregg Campbell, co-founder of Pride & Purpose (the charity that Ulusaba operates).

A SHORT HISTORY ABOUT DONALD’S SICKNESS!

14 September 2003 was my second day of my employment at Ulusaba Private Game Reserve. It was summer, but in the middle of the night I started to feel cold. It felt like it was winter. I was bound to go knock on David’s room. David stayed next door, so I asked him for a heater because I could no longer stand the cold.

The following morning David gave me some money to go to the Doctor for consultation. The Doctor did not tell me what was killing me. He suspected Malaria, it was not Malaria. I came back to Ulusaba with a Doctor’s Note. I was not able to work until the day’s that was given to me to be off sick, came to an end.

I returned back to work but since then my life was shacking. Every time I had to be absent from work because I was not feeling well. I’ve tried Songomas, Private Doctors, but all that was unviewed or fruitless.

Then it happened one day after I went on Annual Leave I started to realize that my stomach was so big and very painful. Then I went to the Private Doctor, Dr V Hlatswayo at Hazyview. He helped me a lot, because he encouraged me to go the Matikwane Hospital.

“ADMIT & HUMBLE YOURSELFS IN ORDER TO GET HELP”

The Doctor and I agreed that I will go to the Hospital. When I arrived there I was bound to be admitted because I was in a bad condition. They took me to have an X-Ray, but the end result of that was that they did not find anything. They also did a blood test and still nothing, until they drained some of the water from my Stomach, my stomach was full of water. They send some to the Laboratory so I was just weighting for the results. The result was that I have TB PLEURA.

After the results I started to take TB Tablets where they gave me (Riffer 4 Four Tablets) and I must be honest with you these tablets helped me a lot. I did manage to gain my body weight again. I gained my appetite, but my condition started to get worse, after I stopped the Riffar Four. I took 5 tablets daily and changed to 2 tablets but it started again. I felt dizzy, loosing my energy and I was sweating a lot. When I went back for a check up I told them how I was feeling but they just didn’t take me into consideration. They were just doing their own things. I took the TB Treatments for almost nine months, until I went back for another check up for the last time, and then I asked them to do an HIV Test.

“MY PEOPLE ARE DYING BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE

They conducted the test and after the results they told me that I am HIV Positive, but they cannot give me any treatment because they are still waiting for my CD4 Count Results, only then they can see what to do. They also said that they cannot treat me if my CD4 sells are above 300; they will only give me treatment if it’s below Two Hundred.

MY POINT OF VIEW

As far as I am concerned about this is that the Government are supporting HIV / AIDS to do their job of destroying the Nation, They told me that my CD4 count is above 300, which means that my system is still strong and that’s why they cannot help me. So I thought that is totally wrong. Why wait until my CD4 cells go down, before they’ll help me? Why can’t they make sure that the virus does not cross the boundary to go from HIV to AIDS?

I plead to the Government again not to ignore and neglect the traditional healers because it is only AIDS that you cannot cure. When you go to the Traditional healers they do help us. I am the witness of that, because I am taking a treatment and I can see change everyday. I have no longer a swollen stomach just because of this Herb that I am taking.

“BLESSED ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE EAGER TO HELP BECAUSE GOD WILL GIVE THEM WISDOM”

Because of everything that I have experienced during my sickness and until now, I know what is killing me, I feel like I can Rise & Shine. So that people can know the truth and the truth can set everyone free. It took me time to decide whether I should do the test or not. Because I was scared that if they told me that I’m positive I’ll start to worry and people will laugh at me. But I must tell you that now as I know my status I’ve accepted it. I forgave myself and asked God for forgiveness and I have put everything behind me as I’m coming from X to next. I’m very bold & strong to live with it and I’ll never die as a Coward, but as a Hero.

By the way I’m a song writer who writes about HIV and Aids so I had to know my status so that I can practice what I preach. I just want to be an example, especially in our area as it is a rural area and the people are still scared to expose themselves. The virus will spread all over, if we hide it from others.

Let us work together as one, to be proud of ourselves and have the same purpose in order to defeat our enemy. This is not a disease but it is a war that is in Africa, aiming to destroy our continent. I’m pleading to everyone who can read this message to consider it and come out with something to help the nation.

I'm out Donald the affected one

Special Needs Center of Lillydale

There lies in Lillydale a small Catholic church surrounded by two smaller buildings. This campus still conducts mass every Sunday, but if you were to visit during a weekday, you would encounter nearly sixty students, children and adults alike brought together by a shared stigma: they each have a special need.

The Special Needs Center of Lillydale was founded six years ago and is still operated by a petite and unassuming woman named Maggie. She and seven additional counselors/teachers operate a school for people in their community with physical and mental disabilities and those who are deaf.

The objective of the Special Needs Center is to teach their students life skills and basic education. The students have also taken up handi-crafts and beadwork—it sharpens coordination skills and offers them a means of bringing in a small income. (I am getting ahead of myself a bit here, but a sidenote that you may find meaningful: Pride & Purpose, the charity that I am volunteering with, will be opening a medical clinic in Lillydale at the end of October. During my visit to the Special Needs Center on Monday, it was decided to have the students construct beaded HIV ribbons to present to those in attendance of the opening ceremony—among them will be Richard Branson.)

The reach of the Special Needs Center goes beyond those that are enrolled there—Maggie and her colleagues also hope to educate the parents and families of the students about their condition. A wall in Maggie’s office is lined with numerous hand-written posters: some outline the causes of the special needs that her students have; others offer advice on how to rear their children. For in much of the continent, special needs are regarded as a curse. Most are outcasts. Maggie wants to turn that concept around.

Pride & Purpose, along with a few other neighboring lodges, funded the construction of a new Special Needs Center. It was meant to open in February, but has been delayed by completion of the electric system. We all know there are many ways to solve a problem, and fortunately, the center was built near the clinic that is being erected. Electricity can be supplied to the center through the same route as the clinic. The students and staff of the Special Needs Center will be celebrating their grand opening of the new facility at the end of the month as well.

Maggie, though small in stature, is a strong woman. One can see in her eyes what she endures—with the struggle of the delayed move to the new center and everyday challenges. She realizes, though, that she must carry on to help those that others won’t. The Special Needs Center currently has an enrollment of 56 students—the number of students will double once the center has relocated to the new facility.

Maggie perked up on Monday when I mentioned that kids in the States wanted to take up a pen-pal arrangement with other school children in South Africa. Letters can be mailed to:

Tshemba Hosi Disabled Center
PO Box 2042
Ximhungwa 1281
Mpumalanga, South Africa

Contact me if you would like a more formal pen-pal arrangement between the Special Needs Center and a school in the States.

POST-SCRIPT: I visited the Special Needs Center yesterday (October 10) and have come to find out that Maggie isn't even compensated for her role as director of the center--families just don't have enough money to cover tuition for the students. When asked how much she would like to receive as a monthy salary, her reply was R1000--about $150.

I've arrived...

Hello all,

Quick note to say that I am alive & well; just taken a bit of time to get up & running in Africa, whether its physically (time change) or technically (power adaptors and wireless).

There are so many stories to pass along; so many projects that Pride & Purpose (the charity that Ulusaba operates) has underway; so many possibilities and opportunities to help.

Please trust that I will fill you in soon--look for individual installments highlighting each of Pride & Purpose's projects.

ps. The photo is of students showing their handicraft at the Special Needs Center of Lilydale--one of Pride & Purpose's projects is to get them into a proper facility that will also accomodate twice as many students.