Belhar

Charlene Felix (HOPE Community Health Worker)

Charlene Felix was born in Mossel Bay and now lives in Belhar.  She joined HOPE Cape Town in December 2007.  To the clinic and our organisation, Charlene brings expertise as a Directly Observed Treatment (DOT) Supporter.   This background in the treatment of Tuberculosis (TB) clients is very valuable to the clinic and addresses real need as the TB infection rate in the Western Cape Province is very high.  With her new training as an HIV and AIDS counselor, Charlene will continue to be a strong member of the clinic team.  In the community, Charlene volunteers at the Belhar Association for the Aged and supports the primary school of her children as Vice-Chair of the Governing Board.    Her artistic skills include glass and fabric painting.  We are proud to welcome Charlene to HOPE Cape Town. 

 

Belhar Clinic

The Belhar clinic is a municipal and provincial clinic built in the mid-nineties. Medical assistance at the clinic is available from Monday to Friday.  The staff of this large clinic total:  9 nursing sisters, 1 fill-time TB doctor plus a staff (not sisters) of 10-15 additional people working at the clinic. In the clinic’s 11 rooms, common illnesses like TB and teenage pregnancy are treated and counselling is provided. Daily this clinic facility receives approximately 230-240 patients. About 30-40 patiens are tested for HIV per month, however, not many of them test positive.  About 80-100 patients apply for a MTCT test per month of which 3-5 of them are normally positive (and usually teenagers).

Belhar Community

In 1964 Belhar originated as an residential area for the middle class coloured community. Over the years, Belhar expanded and today the population is about 49 000 people (47% male / 53% female) and predominantly coloured (93%).
Most residents were born in Cape Town or in Belhar.  Most of the youth attend school and the drop out rate is low.  The highest education level attained varies:  3% never attended school, 23% went to Grade 7 while the largest group (42%) completed High School with a few residents with post graduate education.  Afrikaans is the most commonly spoken language (71%), followed by English (26%) and other languages (3%).  The unemployment rate, compared to other areas is relatively low at 17%.  The average income of a Belhar household is about R1,600-6,400 (51%) a month; the other 40% earn less than R1,600/month. Most of the Dwellings in Belhar are houses or brick structures located in separate plots of land (83%) with private water and an electrical supply.  Belhar does report social problems associated with crime, teenage pregnacy, drugs and domestic violence.

Statistics: City of Cape Town Census 2001 at http://www.capetown.gov.za/censusinfo/Census2001