 Mission/Vision
To offer community members education in the areas of HIV prevention, basic health, and disease management as well as to provide skills development and training opportunities for volunteers.To provide appropriate and timely medical treatment and care for those persons infected with HIV/AIDS. To provide patients with individual and group counselling in order to better cope with the stresses and challenges of living with the HIV virus.To work with affiliated organizations in the surrounding townships so that they may provide much needed care and support to community members affected by HIV/AIDS
What does the organization do?
The Ikhwezi Lokusa Wellness Centre is a registered non-profit organization that offers medical management and holistic health care to HIV positive individuals in the East London area. It was established in 2003 by a group of committed female physicians who saw a need in their community for appropriate and reliable care for those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Since its conception, Ikhwezi has strived to exist as a one-stop, comprehensive HIV/AIDS management centre; the centre reaches out by delivering affordable and accessible integrated HIV medical treatment and care, disease management advice, social, psychological and peer support, and health information and education. Indeed, Ikhwezi serves those within the community who are most disadvantaged and isolated—particularly women and children.
Having started with only 147 patients in 2003, Ikhwezi currently has over 3000 patients on file with approximately 80-90 new patients presenting each week. Our patients are primarily single, unemployed women between the ages of 20-39, who largely come from the impoverished and disadvantaged shanty townships which surround East London. Most of Ikhwezi’s patients come from the following communities: Mdantsane, Scenery Park, Duncan Village and Reeston. As such, Ikhwezi serves as a model for community care and hopes to build its capacity in the provision of HIV/AIDS-related health care services and activities. It has luanched an ARV outreach programme in 2007 where it services 34 Outreach sites in the Eastern Cape.
Opportunities for Youth
Professional medical services and care provided by dedicated medical staff
Provision of free Anti-Retro Viral (ARV) treatment to > 500 patients
Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT)
Home visits and telephone contact of patients on ARVs by Adherence Treatment Monitors
Daily soup kitchen to provide nutritional support
Individual and peer support sessions provided by trained peer educators
Saturday Learners Program for adolescent youth from local schools
In-clinic phlebotomy services
Free medications and vitamin supplement distribution to patients
HIV/AIDS education presentations to local primary and high schools
Targeted HIV awareness programmes for men and boys in our "Other Half" initiative
Health educational presentations on clinic days
Provision of decentralized counselling, support, and care through affiliated home-based care organizations
Free condom distribution
Training opportunities and skills development offered to volunteers in the areas of lay counselling, medical care, administration, computer literacy, etc.
Fundraising events i.e., car washes, World AIDS Day events, Children’s Christmas Parties
Free educational pamphlets and brochures
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