Restoring dignity and resilience of the sick

Home Based Care Project

Membatsise Home Based Care is one of the few NGOs active in the Hhohho region in Eswatini, which is particularly suffering under the consequences of climate change (regular droughts). Since 2003, Membatsise is committed to fill the gap of nonexistent health services in the region and to fight poverty that comes with the high rate of HIV/AIDS. Membatsise is a very small NGO based on two passionate women (staff) and around 20 volunteering care givers that invest all their heart and energy into helping people affected by HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and noncommunicable diseases (such as cancer and diabetes). The main objectives of Membatsise are:
- Provide palliative and home based care
- Provide comprehensive counseling to terminally ill patients
- Provide treatment literacy and Human rights information
- Formation of Teen Clubs for HIV positive children where life skills are promoted
- Mobilization of support groups and provide psycho-social support and adherence counseling to people living with HIV
- Enhancing food security of the households visited for home based care through back yard gardens
- Empowerment of young women on sexual reproductive health rights, through group information sharing and training
- Establish and coordinate self-help projects
- Youth entrepreneurship and food security
The first two projects supported by sahee focused on training young people in life skills, entrepreneurship, and income generation (see Empowerment of child headed households and Breaking the downward spiral).
The current project goes back to the core services provided by Membatsise: Home based care. Membatsise promotes, restores and maintains a sick person’s maximum level of comfort and health including care towards a dignified death. A major concern of Membatsise, that has been pending for a long time, is the further education of community based health volunteers in palliative care, noncommunicable diseases, TB treatment, and psycho-social support in order to increase the quality of the health services provided. This becomes now possible within this project. Furthermore, children and family care givers are supported with psycho-social support, life skills, and information on human rights promoting self-development and resilience.

Project site

Buhleni in the Hhohho and Manzini district (Map)

Beneficiaries

Women: 215 direct, 874 indirect
Men: 25 direct, 59 indirect
Children below age 16: 46 direct, 706 indirect

Project costs and assistance by sahee

The entire project costs are CHF 47’100.–, whereas sahee takes over CHF 45’100.–.

Besides visiting the project once a year and staying in regular contact with the project leader, sahee provides support in organizational development and project administration.

Duration of assistance

1st of January 2019 to 31st of December 2021

Local counterpart

Membatsise Home Based Care