Vahalla Park

Nathan Charles (HOPE Community Health Worker)

Nathan Charles has been employed by HOPE Cape Town Association since October 2006.  New to us, Nathan is already well-known in the community and leads an adult support group (life skills) and two youth groups, one focusing on life-sills and the other on drama.  Nathan was also involved in the Holiday Club for school-aged learners in Vahalla Park, Netreg and Bonteheuwel.  Being a HOPE Community Health Worker enables Nathan to fulfil his personal and professional goal of working with people in the environment where they live.  Born and educated in Cape Town, Nathan has a keen interest in sports (“all of them!”) plus hand-on experience with computers from the inside to the outside.  He also teaches spiritual dancing classes in the church and the community.  His strong organisational abilities and interest in people are well received in both the clinic and the community. 

Vahalla Park Clinic

The Vahalla Park City Clinic was built in 1979 and employs 4 nursing sisters, 1 general nurse, 1 staff nurse and 3 general assistants to handle the approximately 110-120 patients on an average day. Medical assistance from a doctor is only available once a month.  In the 2 consulting rooms, 2 treatment rooms, the TB room, immunizing room and 2 counselling rooms, common illnesses - HIV, TB and skin rashes on children - are treated. Approximately 50-65 clients are tested for HIV each month.  Only a few of these are HIV positive. The PMTCT (Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission) program averages 6 clients/month, all of whom are HIV positive and young (the majority are less than 21 years old).

Vahalla Park Community

The community grew from a squatter camp in the Western Cape Province. The majority of the residents work in factories. The biggest problem in this area is drug addiction.  Sale and use of drugs is common.  Drug use is linked to the high drop out rate (70%) after Grade 6.  Due to number of empty classrooms, one of the three Vahalla Park schools is scheduled to be closed.  In addition to drugs, gangsterism is a problem in the community.

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

neighbourhood

Nathan Charles