December News

Well the end of year is creeping up on us and a mission team from Infocus Church, Augusta in America blessed us with an early Christmas present! They have completely tiled our day room. It was looking very tired before and now, with two days hard work from them, the place looks great. Thank you guys!
Last month our inpatient unit was very quiet but now we are one hundred percent full. We were sad to lose one patient in his fight against cancer. It's always tough when this happens but we pride ourselves in giving the best possible care to these people in their last days.

The past few weeks we have been busy  preparing for our HPCA audit. We are trying to get everything in line so that we might possibly achieve a 2-star status for our project. Our Outpatient carers have been battling with Grabouw’s weather elements. The rain and stormy weather makes it very difficult for them to get out and see all their patients, but they are dedicated as always.

October News

We ended September with a generous donation from one of our local companies, Elgin Free Range Chicken, who’ve sponsored us, with the help of other companies, stationary for R500 a month until February as well as two fly zappers to keep the bugs at bay. Thank you girls, Linka and the rest of the team.

It’s also with sadness that we had to say farewell to one of our members. Staff nurse Suzette Le Roux decided that her season has ended here at ThembaCare. Thank you for you hard and dedicated work in the HCT unit. We will miss you greatly.

This month wasthe inpatient unit was filled with the happy sound of children’s’ laughter whilst a 13 month old boy and his four year old sister spent a couple of days with us alongside their Mom in the unit. They are now back at home doing well.

We are also very excited to welcome Sr Portia to the Out Patient Unit. Her responsibility will be to us and the childrens’ unit at the Village of Hope. It is fantastic to have some more skilled hands on the team to share the load. Good luck sister and a blessed, long service.

September News

This month we would really love to thank Froggie shoes.

As any South African will tell you, 'local is lekker' and so a heartfelt THANK YOU must be said!

We were able to bless some of our staff at Thembacare Grabouw with a comfortable pair of working shoes as a result of a generous donation from Sarah Gedye and Jane Moodley from Froggie Shoes in Durban.

A few staff are going to test out the shoes on their out patient rounds in the community and if they are up to the terrain then there will be a pair for every staff member!  Our carers cover most of the town on foot every week so comfortable footwear is very much appreciated.

One of the ladies to receive a pair burst into tears. She was so happy to get new shoes when her old pair we worn and she had no money to replace them. Who would have thought such a simple gift could make such an amazing difference?

It was a truly special moment to witness.

August News

This month the Inpatient Unit (IPU) has cared for a lot more Cancer patients than usual and we were sad to lose three patients to the battle. Losing any patient is always sad and this was quite disheartening for the staff. However, it has also been rewarding to see that one cancer patient, who was referred to us to die, is still with us and doing much better. Her family never thought that they would see her reach her next birthday! But it was her birthday this month and so the whole family came to celebrate with her in the IPU. It was encouraging to see the family’s hope restored as they decorated the lounge for the party.

We also received quite an influx of visitors on Mandela Day who brought blessings of goodwill and reminded our staff of what amazing care and support they provide for the community of Grabouw. Of those who visited us were the Caledon Correctional Services Staff and some Parliamentarians from Namibia. We also had a former patient, who had been very ill and admitted to the IPU last year, come to bring drinks and eats for the staff and to say thank you. It was wonderful to see how well he is………All thanks to the care that the staff had provided. It reminded us to keep on doing what we do no matter how hard it gets!!

May News

On The Road Again!



Great news this month! We have finally received our newly branded caravan from Appletiser, with the new Thembalitsha Logo on it. The caravan is a generous donation from Appletiser who’s offices are based nearby. It is worth over R100, 000 and will be used by the HIV Counselling Testing Team as a mobile screening clinic to test for HIV, TB and other diseases. This new caravan enables us to get out to the farms and more rural communities in the valley and ensure that more people are screened and know their status.





Last month the HCT had more than 400 clients who were tested voluntarily and now, thanks to the caravan, we will be able to test a lot more people! A gold star goes to Staff Nurse le Roux and her team of counsellors who work tirelessly to ensure that the community is served in this area. 





We will have an official final handover ceremony to thank Appletiser for their support very soon.

April News

A Day In Their Shoes by Amanda Norjie

As the newly appointed fundraiser for the Thembalitsha Foundation, the best way for me to familiarise myself with our incredible projects is to spend time at each one over a period of time.

My introduction to ThembaCare Grabouw was one of great encouragement and humility. I am encouraged by the work being done on a holistic basis and the humility of Sister Thandi who is the Project Manager.

Apart from the seven-bed in-unit facility that ThembaCare has, they offer home-based care which is truly something special to be experienced. Patients are visited in their homes for medical and general well being check ups.

Earlier this month I had the privilege of going out into the community with some of the amazing ladies that are the care workers. Please take a moment to travel that mornings’ journey with myself, Marlene, Cindy, Ntombizonke and Cynthia, who are four of the caregivers.

We leave ThembaCare at 0900am in our little car to start the rounds. We need to collect a patient from his place of work and take him to the local hospital for his medication and check-up. ‘Where is he going to sit?’, I wonder looking at the 3 ladies in the back. ‘No problem’, they say with big genuine smiles and they move over willingly to make that little needed extra space to fit our patient in. So now there are four adults in the back of our little Golf. Off we go!

After dropping our patient off at the hospital, it’s time to make some home calls in Grabouw. There are various locations and the one that we are visiting today is called

Iraq. ‘Why Iraq?’, I’m wondering - although this is quickly answered as we step out the car and start our walk/climb up the sand dunes. The children playing in and around the shacks are familiar with the care givers and happily run along side us chatting, although they are notably unsure of me.

We visit at least three shacks which are far apart from each other and I cannot help but wonder how challenging this walk must be in winter when it rains for a good few months. ‘The walk must have its challenges in all seasons’, I think to myself whilst climbing another sand bank. The conditions today are hot; really hot, and yet these ladies arrive at each door as though it’s their first visit for the day, always with a smile and a huge amount of love and patience. Some patients are not at home when we arrive and so we wait for a while as we are told by the children that ‘they are coming’. Most times they do. Patience is a virtue.

Almost all patients are willing and co-operative. Some are mentally challenged and some are still babies and do not want to be taken away from mom to be weighed but the greatest love and respect is shown by the care givers and that always brought about a positive outcome.

Food parcels are delivered then our patient from earlier this morning is picked up from the hospital and taken back home and more patients are seen in and around the area. I must add at this stage that our little car is required to ‘think big’ at times and suffice as a 4 x 4 on the rough terrain as Grabouw is a farming community with the roads to match.

My time with these lovely ladies came to an end and I found myself nodding off in our little car, heading back to ThembaCare. Emotionally tired and of course physically tired but encouraged, hugely encouraged.

If you, the reader of this newsletter, ever visit Grabouw, I invite you to visit ThembaCare, be uplifted by their incredible works and just simply spend ‘a day in their shoes’,

March News

ThembaCare Grabouw has had a very busy month with both Sister Joyce (who runs the in-patient unit) and Marlene (who manages out patients) away on annual leave. We’ve managed to stay on top of things with the expertise of Thandi, Suzette and Elizabeth managing out-patients and  a locum to help oversee the in-patients.

Something we are struggling with this month is our transport situation. The project has 4 cars which we depend upon for covering extra ground when visiting our out patients and doing our voluntary testing. We are currently only have 1 up and running with the other 3 all off the road needing major repairs which we just don’t have the funds for. It’s making life tough when we are trying to make sure we see all 460 of our patients each month. Please pray that this situation will be resolved as soon as possible and let us know if you know anyone who can help.

On a more positive note, the in-patients have been 100% with only 1 death this month. We have also managed to discharge out-patients - this is always fantastic news as it means we have completed our job and the patients are able to care for themselves.

February News

The out-patient unit workers covered a lot of ground last year and to date has supported over 700 men and women in the community of Grabouw. 2011 sees no change as we continue to visit patients in their homes daily to ensure they are taking their ARVs correctly. It is a lot of work and a lot of walking but we are thankful to have such committed carers.

Over the past two months we have been blessed to have regular volunteers coming to us to spend time with the in-patients once a week. It has been great for them to have some extra stimulation, whether it’s someone new to chat to or a craft activity to focus on and it definitely brightens their days.

But with the smooth comes the rough and we are sad to have lost a patient close to all our hearts in January. Although it goes with the nature of our work it never gets any easier to deal with. Please don’t forget to pray for us as we continue to provide a caring and loving environment for the terminally ill in Grabouw.