Delft South

Linda Denika (HOPE Community Health Worker)

Linda Denika, born in the Eastern Cape, applied to be a HOPE Community Health Worker because she saw the dire need of help in her community regarding HIV and Aids.  She has been working with HOPE Association since May 2005. On a daily basis, Linda works with clients in the clinic, performing breastfeeding and pre-HIV test counseling, giving HIV awareness talks, translating for sisters with her language skills in English, Xhosa, and Zulu, helping with the PMTCT (Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission) program, as well as performing home visits once a week for children that are HIV positive.  She has training in breastfeeding counseling, HIV and Aids information classes, and has a monitoring growth certificate outside of the extensive training provided by HOPE Association.  Linda supports 6 children on her salary from HOPE, but for her, more important than an income is making a difference and saving lives.    

After her working day, people often come to her home and ask questions about HIV, Aids, TB and personal problems.  She shares food with those who visit her that are impoverished and sick and talks about HIV and TB with them.  She speaks to teenagers in the community on Saturdays, and is working to start an HIV and Aids support group.   “People are dying because they don’t know anything about HIV, HOPE has given me the opportunity to help.”

Delft South Clinic

The Delft South clinic, active since June 2006, handles about 150 clients per day.  The clinic has a total of 5 nursing sisters working 5 days a week, and a TB doctor that visits once a month.  About 140-150 people are tested for HIV/month, with about 30 testing positive -- many of these are expectant teenage mothers.  The most common problems in the community handled by the clinic are HIV, TB, and sick children and babies (especially in the winter).  Other NGOs working in the clinic are Sothemba (an HIV counseling group) and Zamstar (TB research).

Delft South Community

The Delft community is a large 75% colored, 25% Black African community that is split into two sections: Delft and Delft South.  There is a 44% unemployment rate out of the economically active total population of 24,000 and the majority of the people have yearly household income of R0 – 19,200 (58%), with 38% with R19,201 – 76,800 a year income, an indication of the income disparity in this area.  Issues include violence, teen pregnancy, HIV, TB, lack of food and a drug problem, often fueled by illegal Shebeens and liquor stores that also sell drugs.  Many people in the community came from the Eastern and Western Cape Provinces while others have immigrated from Nigeria and Somalia; this influx is linked to ethnic strife due to the drug problem.

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

township store

Linda

counseling