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Organization Contact Information | |
| Name: | Sophakama Care & Support Organisation |
| Street 1: | Room 8 Enkuthazweni Resorce Centre, Stofile Street |
| Street 2: | Kwazakhele |
| City: | Port Elizabeth |
| Province: | Eastern Cape |
| Post Code: | 6205 |
| Country: | South Africa |
| Phone: | 041 466 3181 |
| Organization Email: | sophakama@polka.co.za |
| Web Site: | http://www.sophakamacbd@yolasite.com |
| Other Online Presence: | |
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General Information | |
| Board Constituency: | Developing Country NGO |
| Is your organization legally registered in your country: | Yes |
| If yes, please enter your registration number: | |
| Organization Type - Primary: | Non-Governmental Organization |
| Organization Type - Secondary: | Community-Based Organization (CBO) |
| Organization Description: | |
| Joe Slovo settlement area is situated in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality between Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage along the R75 road. Sophakama is a Xhosa name mean (We Will Rise) Sophakama is based in the Joe Slovo Township within Nelson Mandela Bay, the main metropolitan area of the Eastern Cape, one of the poorest of the nine Provinces in South Africa. Uunemployment stands at 27.1% for the Eastern Cape (23.9% for South Africa) and the current antenatal based HIV prevalence rate in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro is estimated to be 29%. Social challenges of poverty and gender inequality as well as poor access to social services have further fuelled the HIV/TB epidemic particularly in the Joe Slovo Township which is one of the worse affected communities in this metropolitan area. Sophakama emerged as a direct response to this dire need. Starting out as a small community based organisation in 2003, Sophakama has faithfully served hundreds of community members for nearly 10 years and provides a range of health and community support services. Key focus areas include: • Health Services (Disease Management) such as Home Based Care and Psycho-social Support to those living with HIV including facilitating Support Groups and individual access to counseling services; • Health Communication (Prevention) relating to diseases such as HIV&AIDS, STI’s and TB; and other chronic diseases; • Children Services (OVC’s) including feeding and after school programmes as well as recreational and sporting initiatives; • Advocacy and Improved Livelihoods Services including referrals to a range of Government services to access official documentation and grants, counselling and health services as well as engagement on broader community issues. From humble beginnings, Sophakama has emerged as a well-respected organisation that makes a difference to the lives of community members in Joe Slovo. A recent Impact Evaluation clearly shows the organisation is making a significant difference to the live |
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| Do you know about the UNHLM declaration: | |
Specializations / Areas of Work | |
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Advocacy |
Other Organization Information | |
| Total number of staff in your organization: | 6 - 10 |
| Number of full-time staff who are directly involved with TB: | 1 - 5 |
| Number of part-time staff who are directly involved with TB: | 1 - 5 |
| Number of volunteers who are directly involved with TB: | 11 - 25 |
| How did you hear about the Stop TB Partnership: | Other partners |
| If you were informed or referred by another partner of the Stop TB Partnership please tell us who: | |
| Why do you wish join the Stop TB Partnership: | Information on developments within the TB world |
| Are you a member of a Stop TB national partnership: | No |
| Are you in contact with your national TB programme: | Yes |
| Please tell us how your organization is contributing to your country's national TB control plan: | |
| On health issues, broadly speaking Sophakama would like to support the vision contained in the National Strategic Plan (NSP) on HIV, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and Tuberculosis (TB) (2012 – 2016) which has adapted the four zeros advocated by UNAIDS to suit the local context: • zero new HIV and TB infections; • zero new infections due to vertical transmission; • zero preventable deaths associated with HIV and TB; • Zero discrimination associated with HIV, STIs and TB. In line with this vision, the NSP has the following broad goals: • reducing new HIV infections by at least 50% using combination prevention approaches; • initiating at least 80% of eligible patients on ART, with 70% alive and on treatment five years after initiation; • reducing the number of new TB infections, as well as the number of TB deaths by 50%; • ensuring an enabling and accessible legal framework that protects and promotes human rights in order to support implementation of the NSP; • Reducing self-reported stigma and discrimination related to HIV and TB by 50%. To contribute to achieving these goals as well as other community challenges in the Joe Slovo Township Sophakama conducts its work in 4 main focus areas highlighted below. 1. Disease Management particularly in relation to HIV/AIDS, TB and STI’s but also relating to other chronic diseases such as Diabetes and Hypertension. Sophakama provides a range of disease management services to assist those infected by HIV, TB and other chronic diseases including: • Home Based Care; • Treatment Adherence and tracing of defaulters; • Psycho-social Support to those living with HIV including facilitating Support Groups as well as individual access to counseling services; • Accessing Individual Counseling through referrals; • Nutrition; • Education and Awareness (cross cutting issue in all services) • Medical Testing including HIV and TB in homes offered. |
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Geographical Reach | |
| Which country is your headquarters located in: | South Africa |
| Which countries do you do operate in: (This includes countries you are conducting activities in) |
South Africa |
Contribution | |
| Please tell us how your organization will contribute to the Global Plan to Stop TB by briefly describing its involvement in any of the areas of work listed below: | |
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TB Care Delivery: • 10 volunteers are trained on DOTS and assessed as competent. • Regular reporting/data management to show HBC working with Clinic with patients/clients. • 20 defaulters per month are traced and are on treatment and educate about TB treatment and the side effect. • 300 patients on treatment. • Number of treatment referrals other than clinic. • Number of newly referred clients. Topics, Drop out • Cases documented showing improvements. • Number of clients referred. • Number of cases resolved successfully. • Educate about healthy living and good nutrition through food gardens. • Number of clients reached per topic. • Number of material/pamphlets distributed to clients. • Number clients, family and community tested. DOTs supporters helps people to take their treatment under thier obsevation every week day for six months. They assist patients to be independant and take control of thier own health. They also help to identify the socio-economic challenges of household and helps with accessing the social services from the different gorvenemnt departments. They help clients who dont have transport money by collecting thier medication on a weekly basis. Drug-Resistant TB: TB is a very serious problem in South South Africa as it is one of the major reason, as TB is a crisis in South Africa and especially in Joe Slovo. We educate the clients and the community about the importance of the adherence to prevent drug resistance. Since adherence is a root cause of drug resistance, solving this problem means addressing everything that makes adherence difficult. We work closely with the clinics to prevent MDR TB and XDR TB. We created the DOTS programme to prevent more people from developing MDR TB and XDR TB and its meant to people adhere to thier treatment and do not develop the resistance to first line antibiotics especially the INH and RIFAMPICIN. TB-HIV: We educate people about the connection between HIV and TB and the importance of adherence. We encourage people to test for both HIV and TB to minimuse the risk of core infection and for early diagnosis and treatment. |
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Declaration | |
| Declaration of interests: None | |
| Application date: | September 19, 2012 |
| Last updated: | November 7, 2012 |