Zwelihle

Henriet Bulani (HOPE Community Health Worker)

Henriet Bulani joined HOPE Cape Town in December 2007.  Henriet brings strong skills and a positive approach to her work as a new team member of the clinic.  In the clinic her language skills in Sutu, Tswana, Zulu and English plus her ability to listen and interpret enable more clien ts to access treatment and support.  Henriet is active in the community; she is the coach of a local netball team for youth.  A role model for children and youth in her community, Henriet has also disclosed her HIV status believing openness is the best way to address the stigma of HIV and AIDS in this country.  In turn, Henriet looks to her mother and Nelson Mandela as sources of personal inspiration. Through HOPE Cape Town Henriet aspires to make a difference.

Zwelihle Clinic

In this busy provincial clinic with 4 consulting rooms there are 2 full time and 1 part time nursing sisters serving in the clinic 5 days a week from 7:30 to 16:00.  A doctor visits the clinic only once a week.  Nevertheless the patients have to wait a very long time to be seen by a sister. The Zwelihle clinic is a provincial clinic. Common illnesses include STI’s (Sexual Transmitted Illnesses), TB and diarrhoea.  Daily this small facility receives approximately 116 patients. About 50 clients are tested for HIV per month and about 32% are possitive. MTCT (Mother To Child Tramsmission) tests are taken from all pregnant mothers many of whom are teenaged mothers and HIV positive.

Zwelihle Community

The population in Zwelihle is seasonal depending on the amount of work in the community; migrant workers are largely from the Eastern Cape.  Xhosa is commonly spoken in the community.  The housing is a mix of government housing and informal shacks, however, almost every house has a supply of water and electricity.  The Zwelihle community has 1 High School, 1 Primary school and 4 crèches.  Attendance is low due to working youth (seasonal labour) or unemployment.   Major social problems are crime, drug and alcohol abuse. To reduce crime, the police have instituted curfews after 22:00. 

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

around the clinic

Henriet Bulani