Keep a Child Alive

Home Based Care Visits with The Blue Roof

Sanibona!!

So we are finally here in South Africa…We still can’t believe it! From the moment we arrived, the warm welcomes that we have received from every person have made us feel right at home. The weather, the sights and the food are all incredible, but still nothing compares to the all of the KCA-funded programs that we have had the priviledge to visit this week. We were blown away from the moment we entered the Blue Roof Clinic - from the staff to the patients, we felt as if we were part of the family already.

One of the most profound experiences that we have had so far was accompanying Thulani and Audrey, two of the miracle-workers at the Blue Roof Clinic, on their home visits to patients. We visited several patients, all with different stories to share. On the way to Philisiwe’s home, Thulani spent the entire drive bracing us for the condition that she was in when he last saw her. We waited by the van as Audrey went to see her first and we were surprised by shouts of joy. We went over to the front door and were shocked to see Philisiwe in a beautiful dress with a smile on her face. She was dancing and more than happy to show us how well she was doing. It was amazing to see how just after four months of treatment, she is already so much better.

Our last visit was another remarkable story. Riaz was a man who knew for years that his condition was worsening, but didn’t feel that it was possible to leave his work for a moment to seek treatment. When he was eventually unable to even work and was forced to beg for medicine from pharmacies, he decided to come to the Blue Roof and seek treatment. He had no family nearby, yet still was determined to fight his illness. He has been on ARVs for the past three years, and says that if it wasn’t for his family at the Blue Roof, he would definitely have not been able to cope with his situation. Knowing about KCA’s work is one thing, but being here and experiencing it have shown us exactly how influential its work actually is.

We are looking forward to the rest of the week and meeting more people that have had their lives touched by the Blue Roof.

We are going to try to post again when we arrive in Johannesburg this weekend.
xo Jess and Dan

Remember to Text ALIVE to 90999 to donate $5 and make more of these home based care visits to our patients possible.

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