"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."

Matthew 25 v 35-36

Building Community Stakeholder Relationships

Palliative and respite care hospice for those affected and infected by AIDS and HIV at Waterberg Welfare Society

The WWS objective for building community stakeholder relationships is to build appropriate empowering relationships within WWS and with community stakeholders so that a sustainable response to HIV/AIDS is developed and maintained.

WWS engages in regular consultative discussions with the district Health and Social Development Departments which it is encouraging to establish a treatment centre in Vaalwater by 2011, to treat those people WWS is unable to help. In order to address the increasing demand for treatment generated by the HIV/AIDS pandemic in South Africa, it is essential that the government are engaged and involved.

WWS currently employs over 50 staff from the local community, a third of whom are living with HIV. The following training and support for staff memebers is provided:

  • monthly pre-school training and support for crèche teachers from rural farms that are member of WWS
  • training and support for 12 primary health care workers (mabopelos) on rural farms that are members of WWS, who are instrumental in facilitating the operation of the mobile clinic
  • voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) - WWS staff are trained as VCT counsellors
  • training for prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS counsellors (PMTCT)
  • mentoring