The View Church in Table View is raising money over the festive season to build a medical centre that will bring health care to the poor.
The church’s social justice leader and the director of the NGO Sharing Abundant Life Together (SALT), Pauline de Klerk, said they would start small by turning two shipping containers into a basic medical facility.
But further down the line they envision a “fully-fledged” health centre, with two or three doctors available as well as a physiotherapist and a pharmacy, that will help people with HIV/Aids, cancer, diabetes and other illnesses.
The View Church pastor AndréGreeff and Ms De Klerk said they were still in the “beginning stages” of acquiring a piece of City land behind the church where they hope to house the centre.
Ms De Klerk said they discovered the need for a health centre while running a programme, Isidima, for about 3 000 women from areas including Dunoon, Joe Slovo and Atlantis.
“Isidima helps vulnerable women and children, senior women, safety parents, and women with life-threatening illnesses to better their circumstances and help reach their full potential.
“Through Isidima, there’s an extended medical service offered,” said Ms De Klerk.
“The demographics have changed in Table View. More people are living on the breadline, and there is no money for medical aid schemes.”
She said they planned to work with doctors in the area and the Dunoon clinic to reach as many people as possible.
“Clinics are very busy, and we want people to have a dignified experience when they have questions and need things to be explained to them,” she said.
They hope to prioritise people with children because it is difficult to sit for hours at a time with a child at a clinic.
“We want to raise funds for phase one which is the shipping containers.
“They will be put on the church’s property and we’ll start it off small by seeing safety moms,” she said.
Mr Greeff said the church would hold a market from Friday December 16 to Sunday December 18, and most of the proceeds would go to the health-care project.
They hope to raise R20 000 to buy and convert the shipping containers.
There will be a play area and petting zoo for the children as well as a zorb ball.
On Saturday there will be an hour of Christmas carols followed by a nativity play on Sunday.
Contact Ms De Klerk at info@saltprojects.org.za or 021 557 3958 for more information.
