Sunshine Hospice
Sunshine Hospice Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria West was established in 1998 by Johanna Tlhoaele. With help from community volunteers, Johanna is dedicated to improve the quality of life for patients with terminal illnesses. Sunshine Hospice provides a program of remedial care which includes the holistic care of patients whose diseases no longer respond to curative treatment. An essential component of Sunshine Hospice is to provide emotional support to the families and close friends of those who are dying or have died from AIDS.
As we all know, AIDS is as much of an economic problem as it is a medical problem. Solutions such as providing food parcels – no matter how well intentioned - are not sustainable. When TFMC was requested by Johanna to help renovate Sunshine Hospice, we jumped at the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution.
Johanna had a simple plan in mind when she approached us: she just wanted to increase the number of rooms (bedrooms) and paint the walls. So far we have:
- supplied bed linen
- built a fence
- painted the bedrooms and kitchen walls
- remodeled the kitchen
- renovated the bathrooms
- rewired the building for electricity supply.
This Hospice has led to networking and mobilization around HIV/ AIDS within Ga-Rankuwa, which has supported prevention and treatment, reduced stigma and myths, and allowed a number of people with HIV and AIDS to find acceptance after disclosing their status, says Johanna.
The electricity supply at Sunshine Hospice was disconnected because the connections were badly damaged and dangerous to operate. Andre Janse Van Rensburg, Koos Klopper and the TFMC North East Region team took this as their challenge and organized for refurbishment of all light fittings, plugs and switches.
Sunshine Hospice is getting a face-lift, extra rooms are being built to accommodate more patients. Kabelo will carry the full story with pictures when the work is complete.
If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a week, take a holiday. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help someone else Chinese Proverb.
