Dykes_of_Mercy

Welcome to 2008!

2008-01-15T16:48:00.000+02:00

Sjoe! 2008 already, and we faltered badly - I think we stopped having meetings in about July. We started the new year fresh and fit (and fat) and have scheduled a meeting for the end of the month! IN the mean time - an organisation I think is interesting and worthy of that news years resoluntion to be more generous!

Feedback:

Feedback Food Redistribution is a registered Non Profit Organisation , committed to community development in South Africa through food redistribution. Feedback is also a registered Public Benefit Organisation with donor deductability status.

Initiated in 2000 as a result of one women's efforts to redistribute excess food from Cape Town's film industry to those in need; Feedback has grown from delivering food which could provide approximately 200 meals, to an organisation which in the last year (F2007)has provided enough food for well over 14 million meals to 215 beneficiary organisations in the Western Cape, Gauteng and Kwa Zulu Natal.

Feedback meets beneficiaries' urgent food needs while encouraging them to become self-sufficient in food provision. This is done through a process which includes workshops and the introduction of independent food sources such as vegetable gardens.

4,359,595 kgs of excess food was redistributed in the last financial year - FY2007. (Kilograms estimated at the point of collection).

4995 kgs (or 19,980) sandwiches were redistributed in the last academic year from affluent schools to those in need as part of our Bread Buddies programme.

205 organizations for community based social services that we support with food as at February 2007.

4 operations (Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and Pietermaritzburg) within 3 regions.

Every beneficiary assessed every 6 months

Food distribution based on assessed need

355 people have participated in Feedback's Nutrition Development Workshops since inception, as part of our Food Security and Nutrition Development programme.

12 vegetable gardens that Feedback facilitated the implementation of.

December: Bernie and the Mielie Lady

2007-04-03T09:08:00.000+02:00

Since the money received from the group in December was quite a large amount, I decided to split it and give before and after Christmas.

I gave the first amount of R1350 to Anna – an elderly mielie-lady. [For overseas readers … a mielie-lady is an entrepreneur who sells maize (corn) to suburban households by walking long hours through the streets with her wares calling miiiieeeelieees. Due to the fortress-like nature of most dwellings in Jozi, the most successful mielie-ladies are predictably those with the shrillest/loudest/most distinctive tones]. The idea to give to a mielie lady came to me very clearly on several occasions – usually early in the morning through the bedroom window and sometimes even through the pillow covering my head. I saw Anna from a distance one day and knew immediately that she could use the money.

It was almost sunset and she was limping very slowly down the road, painfully bent over a shopping trolley containing her last few mielies. When I parked beside her she sized me up immediately. She was very tired, had been walking for the whole day and was selling her mielies for only R3 each. She was from Parkhurst (about 5km away), supported 3 people and just had to sell the last few mielies before dark. As I handed her the semi-transparent bag of cash, Anna became what one would ordinarily describe as edgy. Sensing that she was uncomfortable I began to explain where the money came from and that she could do with it what she wanted. But Anna had decided to make haste before the crazy woman changed her mind and before long was moving in an unnaturally rapid manner down the street behind her trolly and the last few remaining mielies.

The idea for the remaining amount emerged during an out-of-town conference. During an early coffee one morning, I spotted one of the participants zig-zagging her way towards the breakfast room. Led by her guide dog, she appeared to be taking the scenic route, weaving behind trees and around the back of buildings. She arrived at breakfast with a bit of a bang, head-butting a pole and wrapping herself around a chair. It was later revealed that she had scolded her dog earlier (on his off-time) for chasing a squirrel and he had launched into a giant sulk, refusing to guide her properly. Since the guide dog association exists almost completely off contributions I decided to support their efforts and transferred the remaining R1400 to them via online donation.
For more info http://www.guidedog.org.za

October Meeting: Next giver is cajun!

2006-11-05T22:30:00.000+02:00

Caroline reports from the last meeting : Last night at DoM we made R1070.00. We also have an anonymous donor who is willing to donate R1000.00. The nextgiver is cajun.

Danni reported back that she had given the money she got at the last meeting to Cora Bailey, who runs CLAW (Community Led Animal Welfare), an excellent community based animal welfare programme. Cora has started working with children affected by HIV and will use the money for their Christmas party. We are all invited to attend if we would like and Dan will circulate more details.

Next meeting, December 1 at cajun's house. (that's her in the picture)

you can find more information about CLAW here: http://myweb.absa.co.za/suven/claw.html
and
at Greater Good here: http://www.greatergoodsa.com/causes/causedetail.jsp?cause_id=1000058102

DoM in Caxton Local Newspaper, Jozi

2006-09-26T16:06:00.000+02:00

Charity helps charity
by Amanda Watson
Joburg : At its inaugural function, Dykes of Mercy (DoM) raised nearly R20
000 for Meals on Wheels.
At a classy event at Albert Hoons Long Table in Westdene, people from around Johannesburg emptied their wallets and raised thousands. Among the items auctioned were Chris Kirchoff and Robert Hamblin photographic prints, as well as a handywoman for a day!
Dom grandmistress Sally-Jean Shackleton said, "A huge thank you to everyone who attended and donated items for auction. We are making a huge difference with very little effort and I would like to encourage others to get out there and start their own little giving stokvel."
What was once a small idea in the mind of Shackleton became a reality in September last year when she gathered 11 of her friends, and suggested they start a modest charitable organisation. "Those of us who are relative 'haves' want to do something to help, but sometimes the need feels
overwhelming. We wanted to do something that was manageable, and that would make more of a difference than giving R5 at a streetlight," said Shackleton. In the past year, an average of about R1 500 has been donated each month, and some of the people and charities that have benefited include a cleaner at a member's workplace, a financially strapped student at a university, the Ethembeni Children's Home in Doornfontein, a worker in Greenside, a Lesothan
outreach programme, a beggar in Greymont and a couple in Alexandra who support their family by collecting scrap metal.

In essence, the DoM is a 'giving stokvel'. Every month, its members gather at one person's house, with guests in tow. They each place R150 into a kitty and their names into a hat. The person whose name is drawn is given the cash to distribute as she sees fit. At the next meeting the giver will report to whom the money went - and the process begins again. "In the past year the members have had fun giving - it's not all herbal teas and serious tear-jerker stories. Our meetings are wine-soaked get-togethers for friends who share a similar set of values," said Caroline Smith, a founding member of DoM.

DoM's in the Beeld Newspaper

2006-09-26T16:02:00.000+02:00

Groepie vriende help dat ánder ook goed kan voel

Amper R20 000 gaan ’n groot bydrae lewer om honger magies met Meals on Wheels te stil.’n Klein gebaar deur ’n klein groepie vriende het verlede week ’n groot verskil in die lewens van minderbevoorregtes gemaak.Lede van dié vriendekring, wat hulself DOM (Dykes of Mercy) noem, het ’n stokvel begin waardeur elke lid maandeliks tussen R100 en R200 bydra. Daarby is ’n liefdadigheidsdinee in Westdene gehou waar die lede onder meer hul vaardighede opgeveil het.’n Skildery van Robert Hamblin, fotograaf en aktivis, het die hamer op R4 000 laat neerkom.
Benewens skilderye is foto’s, rotsklim-geleenthede en spa-afsprake opgeveil.Van die lede het egter sommer hulself opgeveil en tot R500 gemaak.Volgens me. Sally-Jean Shackleton van Women’sNet Programmes, is dié inisiatief met ’n eenvoudige plan begin. “Almal van ons bêre dikwels R5- en R2-muntstukke êrens in ’n bakkie en dit is geld wat ’n groot verskil kan maak in die lewens van behoeftiges wat onder die broodlyn leef.”Maandelikse trekkings word dan gehou om te bepaal aan wie of watter organisasie die geld sal gaan. “Ons gee die geld waar dit nodig is sonder enige voorwaardes of beperkings. Dit is net ’n eenvoudige gebaar van goedhartigheid,” het sy gesê.

Volgens Shackleton is daar baie organisasies wat gewoon nie geld het vir kleiner dinge soos nuwe motorbande of ’n paar skoene vir ’n kind nie. “Ons wil hiermee die feel good-gevoel versprei.”

– Alicestine October
Beeld newspaper, September 2006

Why did we call ourselves 'Dykes of Mercy'?

2006-09-10T14:17:00.000+02:00

When we started our giving stokvel a year ago, we had a discussion, filled with laughter, about what to call ourselves. We are all strong, outspoken, opinionated women (and one man!) with a sense of humour, and when we talked about what we would call ourselves, we wanted something that would be light-hearted, something that would reflect who we are.

We decided on Dykes of Mercy because it is a play on Angels of Mercy - and because the acronym: DoM, spells a word in afrikaans that means stupid, and is short for domination - funny eh? (no?Ah well, that's okay..) We made t-shirts for last year's pride march that read " I am a DOM"... (geddit?!) we got lots of interest from our fellow marchers and it gave us an opportunity to explain the concept of a giving stokvel.

If you think our name doesnt work, let us know by making a comment on this post. We wont entertain homophobia, but we will consider any other opinions. :-)
Sally
(Pictured is Claire and Robert - members of DoM)

Our Fundraiser!

2006-09-08T11:01:00.000+02:00

Last night, we all came to gether at Arnold Hoon's long table in Westdene for dinner and an auction. We added a little onto the price of dinner, organised a cash bar, and auctioned off donated items (like prints from Chris Kirchhof and Robert Hamblin, jewelery, manicures, rock climbing etc.)

We wanted to do two things: raise money and raise awareness of the idea of a giving stokvel (and have fun!)

We made R20 000! And Tracy, a guest at the dinner, won the draw, nominating her favorite charity, Meals on Wheels in the south of Johannesburg, to recieve the cash.

Thank you to everyone who came - and thank you to our DoM members who worked to make it happen, and thanks to all who donated items for the auction!
(pictured is Tracey getting kisses from Sally and Caroline)

Our Press Release!

2006-09-07T16:21:00.000+02:00

The Dykes of Mercy do it again!

After its first successful year the Dykes of Mercy (DoM) are here to tell you that book clubs and wine clubs are passé. Giving is the new cool.

What was once a wee idea in the mind of DoM’s Grand Mistress, Sally-Jean Shackleton, became a reality in September last year when she gathered together 11 of her friends, having suggested we start a modest charity organisation.

Her reasoning? There are loads of well-known charities in South Africa that receive large donations from all quarters. But even in the aid community, the concept of trickle-down is a bit of a joke. On every street corner, at every turn, people in Johannesburg are confronted by real and immediate poverty; by people who live hand-to-mouth every day with no relief in sight.

There is little research on the topic, but the guy standing at the lights or the woman selling “Homeless Talk” make just a couple of hundred rand a week, if that. And as we know, with high unemployment and low levels of skill in the country, anyone eking out this type of meagre existence is probably supporting another two to three people on the miniscule amounts of money that they make.

"Those of us who are relative 'haves' want to do something to help, but sometimes the need feels overwhelming. We wanted to do something that was manageable, and that would make a more of a difference than giving R5 at a streetlight," says Sally-Jean.

The Dykes of Mercy want to give these kinds of people and the small organisations that support them a break. The thinking goes that if someone living hand-to-mouth were to receive anything from R1000 to R2000 in one fell swoop, they would have the opportunity to pay off school fees, or maybe afford the books their kids might need, or buy the cell phone that would help them to set up a small business. Alternatively, it would be enough money to pay an aid worker for a month or two.

So how does it work? The best way to describe it is to call it a stokvel. Every month DoM gathers at one person’s house, with guests in tow if they choose.
They each throw about R150 into the kitty and put their names into a hat. The person whose name is drawn is given the cash to distribute as they see fit. They also host and set the date for the next meeting. At that meeting the giver will report back on who the money went to and the process begins again. These records are kept on our blog.

When it comes to giving there are no rules. From cleaners at work, to small AIDS orphanages and people selling fruit on the side of the road, the members of DoM give to the people who most grab at their hearts.

One of the founding members, Alana Potter, was the first person to have her name drawn out of the hat. On a trip to Mpumalanga she stopped at an organisation that had caught her attention years before. Called the iThemba Lethu, (Our Hope), HIV/ AIDS Home Based Care Group, the small organisation is doing fantastic work under difficult circumstances in the Nkomazi area of Mpumalanga. There are about 15 home based caregivers who are supporting families living and dying with HIV/AIDS in poor and rural circumstances. These caregivers work 7 days a week in Jeppe's Reef for just R250 a month. Alana gave the donation to Bridgette Moyana, the co-founder of the group, and asked her to give it to these home based caregivers.

Since September last year an average of about R1500 has been given away each month and some of the people and charities that have benefited include a cleaner at Jodie Lapidos’ workplace; Thoriso, a financially strapped student at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University; the Ethembeni Children's Home in Doornfontein; Monica Kgaphola who works on the street in Greenside; a Lesotho outreach programme; Amanda who stands on the street corner in Greymont; and Maxwell Shando and his wife Nomsa who live in the township Alex and support themselves and their child by collecting scrap metal.

Tonight DoM hopes to raise enough money to be able to make a real difference in a few people’s lives. Proceeds from the dinner, the auction and the cash bar will all go to worthy causes.

The auction items tonight were kindly donated by the members of DoM and others in the gay and lesbian community. Some of the items up for grabs include a Robert A. Hamblin photographic print; a Chris Kirchhoff photographic print; a handywoman for a day; a copy of the new Pride book ahead of release; a massage treatment; a manicure and pedicure; a night at Mo’s Place, the guesthouse in Greenside, and much much more. Thank you to all who donated their time and services!

The next event in the gay calendar this year is Joburg Pride, to be held on September 30. DoM hopes to make an impact at Pride this year in order to do what it is also aiming to do tonight - to inspire other people to give.
In the past year the members of DoM have had fun giving - it’s not all herbal teas and serious tear-jerker stories. Our meetings are wine-soaked get togethers for friends who share a similar set of values.

You don’t have to be a dyke to join DoM but the membership of DoM is to be capped at 20 members. What DoM wants is to encourage is other groups of friends to create similar organisations. Because, after all, with just a few rand and working one person at a time, we can all make a difference.

Vanessa Gives in August

2006-09-07T15:43:00.000+02:00

For the August stokvel we managed to collect R1685. In our meeting, we discussed the possibility of giving the money to one of our black sisters to further her education and I was advised to call Donna Smith at the Forum for the empowerment of Women (FEW, an NGO in Johannesburg who work with young black lesbians). I called Donna up and she said there was someone who was currently doing a A+ Technicians course, an IT qualification, and they had sponsored her the first half of her course, and she need to find the rest of the money, apparently quite soon. So I called up Tebogo and she was thrilled, I then deposited the money directly into Universal College's account and viola!, it was that easy. (left: Vee likes her lager)
FEW has a website: http://www.few.org.za

Hayley Gives in July

2006-09-07T15:33:00.000+02:00

The organisation I gave R1650 to, was Usindiso Ministries. They provide a great service in Johannesburg. Although a Christian organisation, this is not the major focus of their activities, rather they are a community organisation.

They provide a shelter for abused women and their children, as well as teenager girls. They have social workers on site, for counselling, and offer the women 3 months protection which often increases to 6 months where the women are not yet ready to leave the shelter. Usindiso are involved in providing employment opportunities to the women in shelter. They offer numerous courses to help with future employment, as well as a furniture upholstery organisation where the women can work and learn, and provide education to the kids. I heard of them a few years ago when they were a client at my previous company. They were part of the Rhema Christian Service foundation, but Rhema had written them out of their business plan, resulting in them struggling financially even more than usual. The company then decided we would provide the services for free when we saw the difficulties they face, and the work they do. Knowing them from there, i decided to give to them when it was my turn. (Hayley is pictured)
Contact details for Usindiso:
Mrs Jay Bradley (011) 334-1143/4 (tel) , 011 334-1206 (fax)

Caroline Gives in May

2006-09-07T15:15:00.000+02:00

I really struggled when it was my turn to give – I wanted to give the money to a woman who begged on the Jan Smuts/Empire Road intersection with her baby, but for the whole month that I had the money, she wasn’t there – and I had no way to find her. And then I wanted to give the money to a home based care organisation who’s board I sit on, but at the board meeting that month, they proposed that board members should provide the petty cash for the organisation monthly, a proposal that none of the board members were happy with, so that giving the donation would have sent a signal that we might be open to persuasion. In the end, I thought about what would make things easier for women in impoverished circumstances and decided that I wanted to fund a day care centre. A charity called the Gumboots foundation supports a day care centre in Alexandra that let’s women go out to work knowing their children are safe, so I donated the money to them.

(caroline is pictured, shorty after she shaved her hair off for CANSA :-)
You can find more information about the Gumboots Foundation here: http://www.gumboots.org.za/

Amanda gives it away in April 2006

2006-05-16T13:00:00.000+02:00

This is Maxwell Shando, his wife Nomsa and their 4 year old daughter. They live in Alex and support themselves by collecting scrap metal. He has matric and cannot get a job. His wife has a std 7 and also cannot get a job. He is 28, she is 20. I can’t remember the name of their daughter.

I was doing a story on illegal dumping in Corlett Drive when I saw them coming down the road. As luck would have it, I had the money on me, the first time since DOM. I gave her the money and suggested they sort themselves out for the winter. Her eyes were big. She cried. I cried. The little girl waved at me. He shook my hand and said thank you. I left them counting the money and went on with my story.

March 2006 Renee's Month

2006-04-03T21:14:00.000+02:00

Renee was the giver for March - getting a total of R2000.00 to give away. She decided to split this and give to two people:

1. John Grant goes to Lesotho's mountains every three months to the places most agencies dont get to. He takes food and clothes and other neccessities to needy people there. Renee gave John R1000.00.

2. Amanda is a widow with two kids - 16 and 9. She lives in Brixton and stands at a street corner every day asking for donations so she can take care of herself and her two kids. Renee handed over R1000.oo Amanda said she would spend it on school books and clothes.

And though Amanda did get a little teary eyed, Renee didnt cry like some girls... called Jodie.

Caroline is the next giver, and the meeting is on Thursday the 4th of May at her house :-)
(in the pic: Keneilwe, Dani and Alana the beautiful!)

Sally- February 2006

2006-03-02T19:47:00.000+02:00

This morning, I was having a working coffee with a colleague at eVida Cafe in Greenside, and was thinking about the money, burning a hole in my wallet, from our DOM meeting. Across the road, a woman sat on an old crate, a towel wrapped around her waist, and selling single cigrarettes, knick-knacks in plastic bags and little sweets.

She seemed to be doing okay - there arelots of constuction workers in the area, stopping to buy singles and sweet. I went across the road and introduced myself, told her about DOM … but she didn’t speak English, only a little Afrikaans. So a client – a construction worker from across the road who came to buy a cigarette – helped out. Her name is Monica Kgaphola, she has four kids – none of whom are employed. She lives in Greenside but came from the Northern Province about 8 years ago. She makes money by setting up shop near construction sites. She looks to be about in her fourties.

She was a bit shocked – kept asking me “Mahala??”while counted the money…. Asked me again, then asked me if Im from the church. I said no, that we just want to help people. Felt really really good to walk away from her, and i had a grin on my face for the rest of the day :-)

Next meeting is Friday the 31, and Renee is the giver!

Claire's turn January 2006

2006-03-02T19:30:00.000+02:00

I donated R1800 on behalf of DOM to Ethembeni Children's Home in Doornfontein. Ethembeni - which means "Place of Hope" in Xhosa - has capacity for up to 60 children, presently they are looking after 55 kids. The children are all under theage of three, who have been abandoned, are HIV-positive or have full-blown Aids. From the home they are either placed in foster care, adopted or once they reach three moved to another children's institution who can care for older children. They will be using the money to buy baby food and nappies.
(Photo Greame Williams - we hope he wont mind)

Natalie - December 2005

2006-02-04T20:22:00.000+02:00

This is what Natalie said about her gift to a student in Dcember 2005

"Essentially, I was looking for a strong female first or second year student, or potential student, who needed just something extra to help them gain access to tertiary studies. This is not a person who would be a bursary recipient, but someone who we could help finance their registration fee or some essential supplies for the year. I found, with the help of my colleagues who work with a lot of students, Thoriso. I thought she was a worthy recipient and the fact that she wants to succeed in an industry so close to many of the DOM members' hearts did not hurt either. I attach her words below:

"Greetings!
I am Thoriso M-Afrika; a first year BA student at the Nelson Mandela
Metropolitan University. The bulk of my studies include core media
modules as well as Communications, Culture and Politics as an elective.
My objective is to be a qualified and proficient Public Relations
Officer, although I am yet to receive opportunities to be actively
involved in media I would relish such prospects as these are platforms
whereby I can fully display my capability and bursting potential.
The purpose of sending you this email is to primarily thank you for your
generous donation as a result of your efforts to contribute towards a
needy student. It will certainly go a long way towards purchasing
toiletries, food, travelling costs and other necessities.

As an individual growing up with a single parent; my mother, my life
took a turn shortly after she had passed away seven years ago. I found
myself thrust to my biological father whom is unemployed, an alcoholic
and is yet to own up to his responsibilities on a much larger scale. It
is due to the efforts of a donor that I was able to register for
academic tuition and from there the NSFAS is providing me with a loan to
pay for my studies.

Many thanks for your generous gift, it is highly appreciated and is
beyond valuable.

Kind regards
Thoriso"

Next meeting: Claire's the next giver, we meet at her house in February!

November: Jodie's turn

2005-12-19T19:46:00.000+02:00

We had our meeting at the humble abode of Jodie, who served us hand and foot (metaphorically speaking). Monique, Sally, Hayley, Robert, Amanda, Natalie,Phillipa and Vee were there. Contributions were also received by Michelle-blonde, michelle-red, caroline and renee - have i got everyone?

Our new giver for this month is (Ta Da!) Natalie! Next meeting is: Thursday 8th December at Natalie and Phillipa's house. Jodie gave us an account of her experience of giving - she handed the money to a fellow employee (a cleaner) who was having a really hard time with deaths in her family and a run of really rotten happenings in her life. She said she would use the money for funeral costs. She was very grateful, Jodie didn't cry.....
Roger 10-4over and out, Sally
(that's Jodie - looking very thoughtful)

More on iThemba lethu

2005-12-19T19:37:00.000+02:00

Extract from an article for the Water Wheel "The Links between AIDS, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Experiences from Jeppe’s Reef, Mpumalanga" By Alana Potter and Virginia Molose

Jeppe’s Reef is a peri-urban settlement in the west of the Nkomazi LM area in Mpumalanga. It is situated in the fertile Nkomazi valley, in close proximity to the Mozambique and Swaziland borders.

According to the 2001 Census, there are approximately 5200 households in Jeppe’s Reef, with an average of 6 members per household. The majority of the population is between 15 and 34 years.
Most of the population is unemployed and make their livelihoods from social grants, informal enterprises and limited livestock and food production. At least 15% of the local residents are immigrants or refugees from Swaziland and Mozambique and have difficulty accessing social support.

Jeppe’s Reef is serviced by a clinic and the Shongwe public hospital located about 3 km’s from the centre of the settlement.

HIV/AIDS in Jeppe’s Reef
While accurate HIV infection statistics are not available in the area, in a random sample of 15 households visited, seven households contained people who were actively ill, or taking TB or ARV medication.
Having worked in HIV/AIDS care in Jeppe’s Reef for more than 10 years, the co-founder of the iThemba Lethu Home Based Care (HBC) Group said “All I can say is that this area is dying and we are hardly scratching the surface – more than half the households we visit have someone who is sick, mostly young people.” (Bridgette Moyana).
The home-based caregivers interviewed indicated that it had taken years to encourage noticeably sick people to get tested and treated, and that denial was a big part of the problem. “Most people know about it but don’t believe people are sick until they see it. Some are locked away and their families refuse care – they say no one is sick here” (Rose Moyana).
Many people report stigma and discrimination on revealing their HIV status – “The young boys would find me collecting water from the tap and point fingers and say AIDS AIDS AIDS” (Esther Ngosi).

The Shongwe hospital is providing ARV treatment, mostly in the later stages of infection and after a long wait, and obviously only to people who are willing and able to be tested and know their status. The HBC Groups interviewed also reported that the municipality did not accept that HIV was a serious problem and claimed they were exaggerating in order to access donor funding.

Water and sanitation service provision
According to the Nkomazi IDP (2003), 41% of households receive water from communal standpipes at 200 meters, 36% receive water below RDP level, and 14% have yard connections. There are communal standpipes throughout Jeppe’s Reef. Water supply from these standpipes is controlled and only accessible between 6 and 10 in the morning.
Most households have pit latrines; some have VIP toilets implemented 5-10 years ago, and a limited number have VIPs recently implemented by the Nkomazi LM. The IDP states that 55% of households have VIPs, 20% have unimproved pits and 13% have no sanitation service at all.

What is Home Based Care doing?

Home-based caregivers undertake a range of activities, including fetching water, bathing patients, washing, laundry, digging pits for solid waste disposal, cleaning households and yards, assistance with access to social, health and other services, and providing counselling, information and support. The iThemba Lethu HBC Group also provides household food gardening training and support.
Water and sanitation needs of infected and affected households
Controlled water supply makes it difficult for home based caregivers to carry out their activities, and compromises the impact of health and hygiene education and promotion carried out by community health workers.

“When water is not in the yard and also comes out at particular times only, it makes it very difficult for us to wash clothes, clean houses and bath our patients when we visit them during our house call duties” (Christina Thwala).

Members of HBC groups indicated that they require 200 litres of water a day to care for their patients – 75-100 litres for laundry and the rest for cooking, bathing and drinking.
With regards to toilets, it was felt that “spiral toilets are not good for households with sick people, as often we need to carry or accompany a person to the toilet because they are too weak to walk. The spiral toilet does not make it easy for two people to fit in it, but we are very happy about the VIPs that are there” (Sarah Baloyi).

Many AIDS infected households interviewed had unauthorised connections to communal standpipes. “I was too weak to fetch water from down the road and the children would not help me, so I bought the pipes and connected up” (Mary Ndlovu). While there seemed to be a degree of tolerance of this on the part of other households, this will ultimately affect the flow rate and sustainability of scheme.

The home-based caregivers interviewed said their work would be more effective if AIDS-affected households could have taps in their yards. They felt this would enable them to nurse and care for greater numbers of sick people rather than waiting and collecting water from standpipes.

The also felt this would also enable household level food production, as good nutrition is crucial for the immunity of HIV+ people and for taking ARV medicine. Although trench gardening is used, there is not enough water to sustain food gardens in the dry season.
Experiences of people living with HIV/AIDS
“I have moved here to care for my son who is sick. We are just back from the doctor for stomach medicine. It cost me R50. We are not paying for water and there is plenty until 11 o clock in the morning. There is no food and we can’t grow food because the goats come and eat it”.
Thandi Mazibuzo

“I was too sick to get up and then I got the medicine. Now you see me I am well. Thandi has taught me food gardening and I eat spinach and beetroot with my mother and father. I need this food for the medicine. Now people are not so tired of me anymore because I am not so sick. The water for my garden comes from this pipe from the tap down there, but my toilet is full and we have a problem – how will I dig another one? So I use a bucket”.
Esther Ngosi

“My child is in grade 8 and must be tested but I am afraid the children will tease her. There are many people who are sick here but they cant get medicine and they are dying. Our toilets are old and we can’t get another one. There is also not enough water”.
Matetiwe Mhlanga

“If we had money we would buy a pipe and connect to the tap, but there is no money. The child fetches our water in this wheelbarrow in the morning before school but sometimes he doesn’t come and we have to wait till the next day”.
James Mhlabane, elderly man

Alana: HIV/Aids Care workers

2005-12-19T19:28:00.000+02:00

On the meeting held in October 2005, Alana told us how she spent the mali we collected:
"The iThemba Lethu ("Our Hope") HIV/ AIDS Home Based Care Group is doing fantastic work under difficult circumstances in the Nkomazi area of Mpumalanga. There are about 15 home based caregivers working 7 days a week in Jeppe's Reef for R250 a month. I gave the donation to Bridgette Moyana, the co-founder of the group, and asked her to give it to these home based caregivers. She was very excited and said she would send us a letter of thanks." (Alana pictured with Sarah at the meeting)

Welcome

2005-09-20T18:11:00.000+02:00

this is the Blog of Dykes of Mercy....

We are a group of South African (moslty) lesbian women who have set up a "stokvel"* for giving money away! We come togther very month to collect money from each member of the stokvel. This money is pooled and a different member gets to choose a charity/group/individual to give the money to.

Rationale:
In Johannesburg, where we all live, there are a LOT of poor people. All of us want to do something to help, but just dont feel like we are making a difference. Sally had an idea for how we can make a difference, and feel less overwhelmed by the need and presented this to her friends - all of whom agreed to join up!

The person that stands at the side of the road, with a sign or an empty tin, makes only enough money to survive. We give coins, sometimes notes and drive away feeling like it was a drop in the ocean for that person. And, im pretty sure that the person who received the coin or note feels the same way - she can probably never catch up. So, we put our money together, and once a month pick someone to give the money to - so that we can make a real impact!

This means that the person on the street corner, or the charity we give to, can do something big: like buy a cell phone so that job searching is easier, or a shelter for HIV orphans can buy a TV for the kids to watch, or a microwave, or that women who stands at the side of the road can have a day off her feet, or pay school fees for her kids, or ..... you get the idea!

And this is our blog, so you can see how we do, and maybe start something similar of your own. If you do, let us know by emailing sally: sally_jean_sa@yahoo.co.uk

* Stokvel is a South African term for a savings scheme: where people get together to pool their money and rotate recipients. Its a strong South African tradition, where many people do not have bank accounts or access to savings.

links to more info:
"Under the mattress or into the stokvel, SA’s poor put money away for rainy day" Business Day Ayanda Shezi May 2005 (http://www.cssr.uct.ac.za/media/stokvels1.pdf)
MINISTRY OF FINANCE: GOVERNMENT'S POSITION ON COMMUNITY-BASED SAVINGS SCHEMES, 15 January 1996 (http://www.info.gov.za/speeches/1996/j170w881.htm)