Island Hospice & Healthcare

Introduction and background

 Island Hospice & Healthcare (Island) delivers palliative and bereavement care services through several models, namely: (i) home-based care, (ii) hospital-based care, (iii) rural and community outreach, (iv) roadside clinics, and (v) virtual consultations. These models are tailored to meet the diverse needs of patients and clients based on their individual circumstances and settings. Each approach is designed to ensure that care remains accessible, flexible, and responsive, whether in the comfort of a home, within a healthcare facility, or through remote engagement.

Intervention and Outcomes: June–September 2025

Between June and September 2025, Island provided palliative and bereavement care to individuals living with life-threatening conditions, as well as to those experiencing grief and loss. The organisation delivered a wide range of mental wellness services, including bereavement support, trauma-focused debriefing sessions, and partner loss support groups, tailored to support the emotional well-being of clients.

Island conducted multiple training sessions and workshops to strengthen the capacity of healthcare workers, caregivers, and community volunteers. These included Nurse Aide training in Mutare and Harare, which equipped participants with essential palliative care skills including patient assessment, pain management, and end-of-life support; Caregiver Modules 1–12 in Harare and Bulawayo, covering holistic care for emotional, physical, psychological, and spiritual needs; psychosocial support training for teachers as part of the SOS Community Outreach Project in Bindura, enhancing their ability to support children in schools; and specialized sessions for frontline counsellors in Gonarezhou game park, focusing on trauma-informed care, grief counselling, and community engagement. These programs strengthened participants’ practical skills, knowledge, and attitudes, enabling them to deliver high-quality, compassionate, and culturally sensitive palliative and bereavement care.

In addition to capacity building, Island engaged in extensive community outreach and awareness activities to raise awareness of palliative care, strengthen stakeholder collaboration, and promote early referral and service integration. Key initiatives included Men’s Health events, such as the Gentlemen’s Evening and the Men’s Fair, which addressed men’s health challenges, leadership, and gender-specific issues. Other activities included wellness days, radio programs on bereavement and grief, exhibitions, and participation in national and international forums, all of which enhanced public awareness, fostered partnerships, and increased the visibility and influence of Island within both community and professional networks.

Between June and September 2025, Island provided care to 985 patients and clients (347 males and 638 females), resulting in 3,489 total care contacts. Most services were delivered virtually (1,523 contacts), followed by home visits (890) and roadside clinic (419). Additional engagements included hospital office consultations (367), ward rounds (251), and hospital visits (39).

 The stories below demonstrate typical changes to patients’ and clients’ lives because of Island’s interventions.

 Story of Change 1: Island Restored my dignity as man of the house         

My name is Peter Muropa (not real name), a 39-year-old paraplegic patient based in Cherutombo, Marondera. Losing my ability to get up and work for my family greatly impacted my mental health and washed away my confidence as a father figure in the family. I could no longer perform my role as a provider, rather I waited upon my wife to provide for me while I lie in bed and waited to be lifted from one point to the other. I was diagnosed with paraplegia, a condition characterized by paralysis of the lower limbs and inability to voluntarily move one’s legs in 2022.

This diagnosis was life changing, it meant my life as I knew it was taking a summersault into a whole new and unchartered territory. With no income and unable to fend for myself, urban life became tough, relocating to our rural home-made things worse and I lost hope. My brother and his wife tried to look after me, but they also had other commitments, and I was left on my own in most cases. Emotionally, I was drained and kept consulting at the local clinic, but my condition did not change. Luckily, my wife came and took me back to Marondera town where I would meet the lady that helped turn around my life and give me renewed hope for recovery. A local Community Health worker referred me to Island Hospice palliative care team that has been working to restore my mobility for the past 2 years  

Island came in as the messiah that restored my mobility. I am not yet fully recovered but my journey with Island has seen me transformed from a 24-hour bedridden paraplegic to someone that can perform basic in-house movements on my own. After coming under the capable hands of Island Hospice, they provided an orthopedic doctor who looked at by limp and suggested that I start physiotherapy sessions as well as do basic home exercises to restore strength in my legs. Island also provided a walker to assist me with walking since my legs have not yet re-gained full strength to carry my weight. I am now able to go to the bathroom without assistance and switch sitting positions. This has greatly eased the burden on my wife as she can now safely do her work without worrying if I am safe. All thanks to the Island team!

Island team did not only work on my physical condition; they have also been working on my mental health and restoration of the family social fabric that has been suffering considerable damage due to my diminished role as the family provider. My wife and 15-year-old daughter are my primary care givers, alternating between school and part time menial jobs. The task of care used to be a burden for my daughter as she did not have adequate knowledge of paraplegic patient care. She also was not psychologically prepared for the task, often showing resentment and anger when I ask to be moved. Through training and coaching by the Island hospice team, my daughter’s attitude made a complete turnaround. She is now always respectable and sociable whenever she assists me. The coaching managed to emotionally and psychologically prime her for the role of primary care giver that she shares with her mother. As I slowly heal and regain my strength, I remain grateful to Island for fostering harmony in the family through the coaching they provided my wife and daughter on physical and social handling of someone in my condition.

Story of Change 2: From Ten Minutes to Four Hours: Ropa’s Story of Hope, Healing, and Courage

For a long time, Ropa’s (not her real name) life was measured in fragile moments that rarely lasted beyond ten precious minutes without the soft, constant hiss of an oxygen tank. At just 35 years old, Ropa was living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a life-limiting condition that made every breath feel like a battle. Simple joys that others took for granted walking across a room, playing with children, visiting friends, or even sitting through a movie felt out of reach. Each attempt ended the same way: breathlessness, tightness in her chest, and a desperate return to the oxygen mask that had become her lifeline.

The emotional weight of living with COPD became just as heavy as the physical struggle. Ropa often found herself trapped not only by her condition but by deep feelings of fear, isolation, and hopelessness. She wondered if life would always be confined to small, gasping moments while the rest of the world moved on without her.

Everything began to change when she connected with Island Hospice and Healthcare and Newlands Clinic. These organizations brought more than just medical care. Tthey brought compassion, dignity, and hope. Through regular home visits, counselling, and access to professional care, Ropa received not only the treatment she needed but also the emotional support that had been missing for so long.

A dedicated team of social workers played a key role in her transformation. They did not just focus on her physical needs. They saw the whole person behind the oxygen mask. With warmth and patience, they listened to her fears, helped her manage anxiety and depression, and encouraged her to set small but meaningful goals.

With time, determination, and their unwavering support, Ropa began to see change. Slowly, her strength increased. From lasting only ten minutes without oxygen, she made it to twenty, then thirty, then an hour. And then came the day that felt like a dream: for the first time, Ropa sat through a full-length movie nearly four hours without needing her oxygen tank. It wasn’t just about the movie. It was about freedom. It was proof that progress was possible, that she was not defined by her illness, and that her life still held beauty and promise.

Inspired by her journey, Ropa now dreams of starting her own video series on TikTok to share her story with others facing similar battles. She wants to use her voice to bring hope, raise awareness about COPD, and show that no matter how dark things seem, there is always a way forward. Her idea is simple but powerful: to encourage others not to give up, to share the little victories, and to help people see that every breath matters.

Thanks to the compassionate care from Island Hospice and Healthcare and the medical support from Newlands Clinic, Ropa is no longer just surviving she is truly living. Her journey is far from over, but she moves forward with courage, faith, and a new sense of purpose.

Her story is a reminder to all of us that with the right care, the right people, and the right mindset, even the hardest battles can be transformed into stories of hope, healing, and new beginnings.