The Sakhelwe Trust

The Sakhelwe Trust

Statistics for the province of Mpumalanga (formerly the Eastern Transvaal) indicate that 37% of the population are HIV positive and deaths from AIDS continue to escalate. This situation is exacerbated by poverty and malnutrition. People are also dying from treatable, opportunistic infections resulting from the virus, because of the lack of both knowledge and medication.

Sakhelwe, in Mpumalanga, is a very poor African rural community with an estimated population of 5,000 and 80-90% unemployment. There are 800 children at primary school and 400 at high school.

There are many similar communities in Mpumalanga.

What the Sakhelwe Trust is doing to help

The Sakhelwe Trust, Registered charity No 1102739, was established in UK primarily to assist the South African non-profit organisation, FAMSA Northern Mpumalanga, to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS through creating awareness, knowledge and understanding of the disease and the promotion of safe practices to prevent infection.

Because antiretroviral drugs are virtually unavailable in these rural communities, many people (mostly young parents) are dying prematurely, creating the dual need for palliative care for terminal patients, who often die alone, and monitoring and care of the escalating number of orphans, many of whom lack food, clothing and shelter. Supervision and support for foster parents, often ageing "grannies", is also given.

FAMSA N M, founded in 2003, provides training and capacity building for home-based care givers to staff the recently built hospice in Sakhelwe, peer counselling training in schools, and student training in Social Auxiliary Work to provide much-needed resources for adjacent rural communities.

These programmes have been met with enthusiasm and wholehearted participation. More local people are becoming involved, requesting training and offering assistance, and there is already an increased level of motivation and sense of purpose.

All supporters of the Sakhelwe Trust will receive regular progress reports on how their donations have been spent. The Trust does not have any administrative overheads so all of your donation will be applied in Mpumalanga.