MAKONDE – Caring for their community is the only thing that boils in their minds!

Eleven unemployed women from Makonde village, north of Thohoyandou, voluntarily organized themselves to form Makonde Home Based Care (MHBC), a non-profit organization that takes care of the terminally ill, disabled and the poor. The institution was established in 2001 after the women met at a church conference.

The chairperson of MHBC, Tshavhuyo Ravhura explains how they came together. “We realized that many unemployed women are engaging themselves in bad behaviour like crime, prostitution and gambling. We felt it was important for us to come together and do something that will benefit our community. We decided on the formation of the MHBC because our people do not get the care they deserve.”

Tshavhuyo says members of the MHBC work voluntarily and they do not receive any salary. “We do not have funds to sustain our organization but that does not stop us from working hard to assist our community. Money is important, but the most valuable thing is to have the love of the community at heart.”

MHBC conducts home visits to community members suffering from chronic diseases. “We work hand in hand with the Department of Health and Social Development in our daily activities. We uncover different cases and hand them over to the department to act. We also conduct road shows where we educate the community about the dangers of HIV/AIDS. We wash the patients and clean their houses and also assist in giving medication where necessary. We also assist community members to acquire birth certificates, child support and old age grants…”

Although the dedicated women are working very hard for the community, they have setbacks that hinder their progress. “We need funds to run our errands. We are using the local clinic as our station because we have no office. Transport and stationery are some of our problems and we urgently need financial assistance to make our work easy,” said Tshavhuyo.

Community members who would like to assist or know more about MHBC can call 083 862 7447 or 072 875 8888.