Over the past five years, the 'Humanitarian' arm of TTN (driven by the Augsburg mission committee) has been involved in developing a very strong 'Mobile Clinic' infrastructure which currently has four effective Mobile Clinics operating over a wide area. 170 Sites are visited each month, and more than 40,000 patient visits per year are done, attending to the most basic of needs, but also distributing the necessary ARV’s to the various sites. Awareness and information regarding HIV Aids, and all the accompanying conditions is shared through a network of 80 Peer educators that operate in all the areas where the mobile clinics are active.
A strong link has been built with the Department of Health who supply all the Nursing staff and medicines. The programme is made possible and effective through the input of German sponsors from NRW (government), Chabahiva (Churches and business against HIV aids - also Germany) as well as other German sponsors. Local industry such as Mondi, Vuka Timbers, TWK and local farmers, have recently begun to play a major role in the sustainability and development of this programme.
We have recently been made aware that our district is far below the national average in school readiness, due to the extreme poverty, high HIV statistics, absentee fathers and very difficult social conditions. We have responded by introducing a strong Early Childhood Development (ECD) initiative that has already seen 18 ECD facilitators trained in the last 18 months. Our aim is not only to start effective creche’s in our area, but that every crèche or ECD centrebecomes a home for the many ECD (Asidlale Boxes) we hope to place in each and every home where there are children.
This box is a very simple tool to assist even the most disadvantaged children to receive an opportunity to grow in the area of perception skills.
Find out more about the Asidlale Box in the Humanitarian Section - this project is growing and reaching many of the rural homes and creches.