Bring healthcare to children in rural South Africa

The Keiskamma Trust, based in the tiny coastal hamlet of Hamburg, south of the port of East London in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province, started its work before the turn of the millennium when Dr. Carol Hofmeyer arrived in the town to find a holiday cottage for her husband and herself.  Appalled by the poverty and high levels of HIV/AIDS she discovered in the area, she set about starting an arts programme amongst unemployed women in the area.  The Keiskamma Trust is the result of this initiative.

The arts programme turned out to be highly successful and this prompted Carol and her co-workers to expand their influence and start focussing on the orphaned and vulnerable children in the area.

Nearly twenty years later, the Keiskamma Trust now has a series of integrated programmes aimed at uplifting the children of the area and giving them a real chance at achieving a normal life.  One of these is through education.

The Keiskamma Trust’s education project consists of three separate initiatives, the Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC) project, the Intlantsi Creative Development Programme and the Vulundlela Centre.

Nokhanyo Nkani is the education co-ordinator at Keiskamma Trust.  She explains, “Our OVC education programme in the area starts well before children go to formal school and impacts over 530 children each day.  It is well known that Early Childhood Development is a key determinant in the development of fully functional adults and the Trust has trained a group of ECD practitioners to the required national standard, which is ECD level 4.  In addition, these care-givers have been trained in diagnostic skills as well as psychological support for very young children, who are being given this essential support in three specially designed ECD centres, one each in Hamburg, Lovers Twist and Mgababa.”

The education programme extends to school-going children as well, using the same ECD facilities during term time and school holidays.   Currently, over 160 children are being cared for after school using a variety of interventions including developmental, educational and psycho-social activities as well as homework support. 

The centres provide the children with more than just intellectual support.  “Poverty is a real problem in the area and many of the children are severely undernourished.  Schoolchildren are given a daily meal while pre-schoolers also receive breakfast and lunch.  In addition, the regular measuring and weighing of children enables staff to monitor the nutritional status of those attending the centres,” says Nokhanyo.

The Intlantsi Creative Development Programme has grown out of the Trust’s close association with the arts and adds teaching of drama, crafting and singing to the children at the three OVC centres.

Keiskamma Trust not only works with young children.  Thabang Meslane is the Trust’s programme manager.  “Here in Hamburg we have the Vulundlela Centre, a computer centre that helps grades eleven and twelve high school learners answer curriculum-based exam question papers.  We also offer computer skills training to local unemployed people, career guidance for school-leavers, connection with further education and life-skills clubs for high school children.”

The needs – be they health or education – of the people of the Peddie South region of the Eastern Cape are great, but slowly the Keiskamma Trust is making inroads.  Thabang is hopeful.  “Sustainability is the key.  The quicker we can partner with communities and local structures, the sooner we can expand our reach and help more people.”