Hospice cares for the terminally ill in greater Johannesburg including Soweto. Our services include a vast home care programme; day care for adults, which includes small income generating activities; in-patient unit care; education and training and various children’s programmes including a specialised paediatric palliative care unit for terminal and malnourished children, home care programme and a crèche situated in an abandoned school in Mapetla for the 2-6 year old children of our sick and deceased patients, to which this appeal relates.

Our mission statement is to provide comprehensive and competent palliative care to the ever-growing number of terminally ill patients and their families in Greater Johannesburg and Soweto with particular focus on HIV/AIDS and Cancer. The project is medically directed, nurse coordinated and we have enlisted Hospice trained and supervised Community Care Workers to assist in Home Care, community development and outreach campaigns.

We are a registered PBO, number: PBO930002687 and KPMG are our auditors. We are registered for Section 18A tax exemption. We are accredited by COHSASA (The Council for Health Services Accreditation of Southern Africa) ensuring excellence in medical nursing, pharmaceutical, administrative and operational protocols. Our Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements are attached for your perusal. 

Objectives of the Mapetla Programmes for Orphans and Vulnerable Children

• We are providing a place of safety, care and education for children of our sick and deceased patients.
• We have the support service of Soweto Hospice Social Workers for psychosocial issues (grants, poverty relief, who will look after the child if the parent dies, etc.).
• Our Home Care Nurses are available to see and check children who are ill and to offer nursing care to their sick parents.  Tragically we have admitted a number of parents into our In Patient Unit for terminal management.
• We encourage openness, disclosure, correct and factual information and communication about HIV/AIDS amongst the parents.
• We have improved the nutritional intake of the children who now receive two meals a day and tea and are sent home with two slices of bread.
• We are serving as a support and supervising the correct intake of ART as some of the children are on treatment.
• Antiretroviral treatment is not as effective if taken on an empty stomach.
• We have improved community morale and hope.
• We enhanced the education of the children.
• We encourage openness, disclosure, correct and factual information and communication about HIV/AIDS amongst the parents.

• Breakfast consists of oats, maltabella or porridge, served with tea or water or juice.
• Lunch is a variance between meat and chicken served with either pap or rice.
• The children are given an apple a day.
• The children are also given two pieces of bread to take home but unfortunately these are often grabbed away by hungry siblings.

• Learn basic table manners and develop coordination with a knife and fork
• They learn nursery rhymes, doing actions, singing and dancing
• Story Time ring – quiet time, listening skills and concentrations
• Learn how to colour in and primary colours
• Physical activities in the play ground area \ Nap Time

• Learns how to count up to 15
• Colouring in and cutting (fine motor coordination skills)
• learns more colours
• Learns the alphabet
• Learns basic shapes
• Story Time Ring
• How to dress and brush teeth correctly
• How to prepare basic meals
• Physical activities in the playground area
• Where possible, outings that coincide with the curriculum

• This group now knows colours
• Knows how to count
• Knows shapes
• Where possible excursions that coincide with the syllabus
• The previous curriculum is presented on a more advanced level and by the end of the year children are ready for primary school admission.

• They are taught how to wash themselves
• How to brush their teeth  
• How to dress (and tie their own shoelaces)  
• How to comb their hair      
• What to eat and what each food group contains 

This is the story of a 49-year-old grandmother who is looking after her 6 grandchildren: 

“The electricity we take for nothing. When we cook, I boil the water with no mealie meal until the children fall asleep. This woman was desperate enough to con her grandchildren into thinking there would be food on the table is a typical case. She is looking after 16 people, including 6 grandchildren. She has no money to visit two of her children, who were sick in hospital. “Life here is very painful,” we only get food from the mercy of our neighbours and food parcels.”  

The Hospice professional nursing sister was concerned about the younger children’s welfare and three of the six children have been enrolled at the Mapetla crèche, where they receive two nutritious meals a day and tea and are sent two slices of bread home each day.  Unfortunately, this is not a rare case and these children are just one of the examples that we come across on a daily basis.  

Without the support of the Mapetla crèche, these children would still be in dire circumstances. Many of these children come from impoverished homes, living with up to 20 people in the household. We have seen so many tragic stories and where we can intervene we do. We are proud to have made a difference to 102 little lives and given them an opportunity of a better future. 

We also have an after care center where the graduates of the crèche come after school and receive a nutritious lunch and homework supervision. We were recently awarded the “Best Early Childhood Development Centre” by Orlando Primary School, where some of our children attend. The costs of this project are included in the crèche programme. 

In addition, we are in the pilot phase of a grade 11 and 12 mentoring programme largely sponsored by a well known financial services provider. We have sourced 50 orphans and vulnerable learners from six Soweto schools whereby we run extra revision classes from 16:00 to 18:00 every afternoon and do intensive extra lessons for those children who need additional revision for the upcoming exams. If the programme is a success we are planning on following our crèche children to the end of grade 12. 

Without the support of generous donors in our community Hospice would not be able to maintain this vital service to children who would have nowhere else to go while parents/carers are at work and siblings go to school.