COMMUNITY PROJECTS
HEALTH & WELLBEING
COMMUNITY PROJECTS
(SIYAQHUBEKA FORESTS) SQF MOBILE CLINIC & TOY LIBRARY PROJECT
This is a partnership between SQF, the Department of Health, Mondi and Cotlands. The aim of the mobile clinic is to strengthen Primary Health Care Mobile Services in remote and under-serviced areas of King Cetshwayo and uMkhanyakude Districts. The SQF mobile clinic started operating in 2013, covering 19 points and in 2019, SQF launched a second mobile clinic, focusing on the uMkhanyakude District. The two mobile clinics currently service 44 visiting points within the two districts.
This collaboration has yielded very good results in terms of increasing access to primary health care services, providing chronic medicine and Antiretrovirals (ARVs) drugs.
This has decreased the defaulter rate of TB and ART patients who were unable to access treatment in the far-flung areas of the Province particularly, around the communities where a majority of the SQF & Mondi contractor employees live. From the outbreak of Covid-19, the mobile clinics were key in providing awareness, screening, registering and providing vaccination to these communities.
In addition to the mobile clinic services run by the Department of Health (DOH) nursing personnel, SQF and Mondi collaborated with Cotlands to provide a toy library. Cotlands believe that exposure to high-quality play-based Early Childhood Development (ECD) aids in cognitive, physical, social and emotional development of children. Cotlands offers a mobile toy library programme that is used to reach out to children in areas where there are no ECD centres. The mobile toy library programme is linked to the mobile clinic services where a trailer with ECD material and resources is pulled by the mobile clinic, servicing the community points serviced by the mobile clinic. The toy library provides an opportunity for children to play and learn while parents are receiving Primary Health Care services.
COMMUNITY PROJECTS
ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMES
SQF supports two community-based organisations that cater to the needs of orphans and vulnerable children in the communities in which SQF operates. These organisations are the Ikhayalethemba Community Care Centre in KwaMbonambi and the Port Durnford Orphans and Vulnerable Children’s Centre based in Port Durnford.
The Ikhayalethemba programme was initiated by Mondi in partnership with the National Association of Child Care Workers (NACCW) to establish support to orphaned and vulnerable children through the employment of Child and Youth Care Workers (CYCWs). The duties of CYCWs include home visits as per the needs of each household. There are specialized programmes such as the Safe Park whereby young people engage in outdoor activities under the supervision of CYCWs and this helps to enhance their social skills, provides them with exercise and allows them to have fun and learn from each other. The purpose of this project is to ensure that children are developed holistically through physical activities as well as academic support.
The Port Durnford Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) Centre was initially supported by SQF through the Noah’s Ark umbrella. SQF has been supporting these projects since 2014.
Both Ikhayalethemba and Port Durnford OVC prepare warm cooked meals for children after school at the centre and assist children with homework support. SQF has recently renewed its support to both these organisation for the next three years until 2024. SQF pays a financial donation quarterly to both organisations.
Jointly Ikhayalethemba and Port Durnford OVC supports approximately 500 children, some of whom come from child headed households from the community.
COMMUNITY PROJECTS
CHRISTMAS BOX PROJECT
CHILDREN RECEIVE CHRISTMAS BOXES
SQF, together with Mondi employees and contractors, sponsor a Christmas box for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in SQF communities. This is aimed at providing hope and bringing Christmas cheer to children most in need. The Christmas Box consists of clothing, a toy and school shoes. Approximately 350 children from SQF communities receive these Christmas Boxes.
