PROJECTS > CHW PROJECTS

Community Health Workers run, or are involved in, many projects within their communities. Some of the following projects run in certain areas and not in others, all depending on the needs of that community.

Youth Group: (Town 2, Brown's Farm, Samora Machel and New Crossroads) This project focuses on youth between the ages of 14 and 25, training them as peer educators on HIV/Aids. The Youth Group concentrates on drama, dancing, singing, education, condom distribution and peer-to-peer education and counselling. This project needs fundraising for youth to receive training.

Child to Child: (Town 2, Brown's Farm and Samora Machel) The Child to Child project targets children between seven and 14. The aim is to assist the children in becoming peer educators on basic primary health care. The project is supported by a radio broadcast each Saturday morning and also networks with Childline and the Children's Resource Centre. About 200 children participate regularly in this project.

Women's Wellness Workers (WWW): (Town 2) This project is unique to Town 2. The staff is made up of one coordinator and three WWWs, who are CHWs that focus exclusively on the health of women and children. These WWWs provide ante- and post-natal visits, and counselling for social problems, such as grants and maintenance and abuse, as well as HIV/Aids. Antenatal visits educate expectant mothers on the importance of attending antenatal clinics. The workers also monitor the mother until delivery. Postnatal visits are carried out every day for 10 days after delivery, during which the WWW assists the mother with breast-feeding and other issues, educates her on the importance of immunisation and cord hygiene, and assesses the baby for yellow jaundice. WWWs also distribute contraceptives in their community.

Postnatal Visits: (Site B and C) Postnatal visits are carried out by CHWs in the relevant area within 48 hours of the mother being discharged from hospital. Three more follow up visits will be made, during which the CHW will assist the mother in any way necessary, assess for yellow jaundice and make referrals when necessary.

Women's Health, Child Health and Nutrition Clinic: (Brown's Farm, Samora Machel) This project focuses on women attending the nutrition clinics with their children, and provides them with education while they are waiting for their food supplements. The CHWs use the opportunity to make the mothers aware of resources within their community, while the mothers often provide the CHWs with information they need. The Nutrition Clinic is run every fortnight by three CHWs, one coordinator and a primary health care sister. When CHWs carry out their home visits, they assess the children of the house and add those whose weight is below the 3rd centile to a malnutrition register. These cases are then referred to the nutrition clinics. At the clinic, the children are weighed and their progress is noted. The clinic CHWs also educate the mothers about malnutrition, health issues and social issues. The Nutrition Clinic is run in partnership with the Save the Children Fund, who supplies the food supplements of formula milk and mielie meal. The clinic services an average of 100 clients and links in with the Women and Child Health project.

COPACA (Concerned People Against Child Abuse): (Brown's Farm, Samora Machel) This project is run by six CHWs, together with volunteers from the community. They provide workshops, talks in schools and crèches, offer counselling, make referrals to social workers, assist survivors with police reports and help the SAPS with information leading to the arrest of perpetrators. CHWs also assist the survivors with legal matters, such as giving evidence in court, protesting against bail for perpetrators and helping to get case numbers and court dates. They have also been involved with removing children from dangerous places and taking them to places of safety. The group meets fortnightly to discuss cases and plans to expand their focus to include abuse against women.

Community-based Distribution of Reproductive Health Services: Ten CHWs have been trained by the Planned Parenthood Association of South Africa (PPASA) in the community-based distribution of contraceptives. Each month, 200 women receive contraceptives from the programme.

Men as Partners: Ten male CHWs have been trained by PPASA on peer counselling, initiating men's groups to address feelings and stereotypes of women, encouraging men to take responsibility for their sexual health and to decrease violence against women. This project also promotes the use of health services amongst men, by addressing issues such as circumcision.

Community-based TB Treatment: All CHWs provide assistance with TB DOT (Directly Observed Treatment) in six clinics, three in Khayelitsha and three in Nyanga. This means that CHWs actively assist the clinics to supervise TB patients from their homes by ensuring that patients take their medication. At certain clinics, the CHWs support up to 40% of the clinic's caseload with community DOT. On average, the programme supports over 400 TB clients every month and this figure is presently expanding and could even reach up to 650 TB clients a month.

Radio Programming: Hour-long programmes are run on health issues on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The topics for these sessions often relate to the health calendar or to issues addressed in workshops, although Saturdays are reserved for disability issues. The project has a broadcast coordinator, but the CHWs and CRWs also contribute. The broadcasts cover the Khayelitsha area, reaching an estimated target audience of approximately 800 000 people, thus making it a highly effective educational and information programme.

SHAWCO Clinic: (Brown's Farm, Samora Machel, Town 2) This clinic occurs weekly and is run by medical students and a registered doctor. CHWs assist by taking a brief history of the patient and translating for the medical staff. They also give educational information to the waiting patients, and distribute condoms and pamphlets. Medication, provided by SHAWCO, is distributed here and pap smears are conducted. When necessary, information about patients is referred back to the relevant CHW to follow up during home visits. This provides an important link between CHWs and student health care practitioners, and is an excellent learning environment for the students.