Abused Elderly
A lady (65) was living a room in someone’s house. The owner of this house physically abused our pensioner, took her SASSA card forced her to draw her pension and took all her money month in and month out leaving her without any funds or food. She is an epileptic and this resulted in severe fits and seizures.
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We did an immediate intervention with the assistance of an Old Age Home on
our books and got her relocated overnight. She has settled down well and is very happy in her new home.
Bedsore Goggo
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A 105 year old goggo was being cared for by her neighbours, as she refused to leave her home, the home was basically a shell, her son was taking her SASSA card and drinking out all per pension.
She was in a really bad way, we assisted the goggo with food and diapers and all medical supplies she needed to treat the bed sore, unfortunately the goggo passed away from septic shock, hospitals turned her away as she was too old.
Pallets Shack Bedridden Elderly 76 year old.
We were alerted by another organisation of an elderly bedridden
gentlemen who was living in a shack made of pallets on a building site,
on investigation we found him extremely weak, and totally bedridden, he had been without water and there was no water source available to him
at all, he had also not eaten in days,
He was placed in the shack by a
relative who had emptied his SASSA pension card on a monthly basis
and disappeared leaving him to fend for himself, we did a emergency
removal and managed to place him in crisis care, he is since the removal
doing very well and is on the road to recovery.
Broken and living amongst vagrants in an abandoned house
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We were called to a case where we found a gentleman who was turned
away from numerous government hospitals with a broken hip as he has
Poems syndrome and they are not equipped to keep him in hospital
long-term.
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There are no government facilities available for rehabilitation for a
fracture. He was sent home to do this alone, with no place to go he
landed up in a derelict home with many street people.
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He was paralyzed and left at the mercy of these people to feed him and
change his diapers etc. He is now living with dignity in our house number 8
Struggling Pensioner Couple
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A struggling couple Susan and Johan (76 and 79) were seen walking down
the street lugging along a heavy old TV. When we stopped to assist them to
take them where they were going, they asked us to take them to a pawn shop
as they were going to sell their last possession.
They had no money and needed to get their prepaid electricity; we purchased them an electricity coupon, took them back home with their TV and listened to their story.
Living below the poverty line they could not afford the back room they were renting.
We found a family member living on a farm in Bloemfontein and have since relocated them there.
We purchased their bus tickets, assisted them to bus station, and ensured they got there safely.
Hearing Aids for stroke victim
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An elderly gentlemen who had a stroke woke up deaf, he went in for a stent
operation after his stroke came out of operating theatre with his leg
amputated.
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With no rehabilitation from the hospital he has been fighting the world of
silence as well as coping with now being a paraplegic.
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With the assistance of Bobbi Bear another NGO we managed to contact a
hearing aid company and he is now fitted two new hearing aids.
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We have also managed to get him a second hand wheelchair. As a SASSA
pensioner he is currently on our feeding scheme
Process of healing
Uncle Gerry
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Uncle Gerry (84) has been burnt severely with petrol and was turned away from three government hospitals. The last time he was turned away from a government hospital, his blood pressure was 20/60 and he was sadly on the brink of death.
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We lobbied for a private doctor to intervene and a Dr Yuvan Mahraj stepped up and has taken Uncle Gerry under his wing. With Dr Mahraj’s assistance and us hiring a private caregiver it has been 3 months and a long journey still ahead, Uncle Gerry is on the road to recovery.
He will still need extensive treatment, and with the community assisting and
sponsoring bandages, gauze and Silbercor ointment we are winning this
battle.
Our First Shared Living Home
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There is a great shortage for accommodation for SASSA pensioners and living off their grant is almost impossible. We with the help of the
community raised funds to rent a home and get it completely furnished.
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Our first 8 elderly have moved into the home and are flourishing. We are
offering accommodation to
able bodied pensioners who are able to still do things for themselves and we are getting them self sustainable with
vegetable gardens baking, and crafting.
This in turns gives then funds to run their home along with each contributing R1400 of their pension. We continue to work with them and supply them with groceries and treats. We are now onto house number 8!
Giving Hope & Dignity​
STORIES
Dog Food Gran
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We were notified of a Gran (81) living in a block of flats on her own with her
only funds being her SASSA pension. When we got there the place was really damp and dark, turned out that after the lady paid her monthly rental she only has R340 left to purchase adult diapers and food, so she was eating tinned dog food mixed with baked beans.
We have since put her on our feeding program and she now gets 10 cooked
meals a week, plus a weekly grocery package and her adult diapers, giving
her back some dignity and the transformation has been amazing.
