Lambano Sanctuary is about providing holistic residential care to children who have suffered deprivation, abandonment and are orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV\/Aids.<\/p>\n
The organisation also provides multi-level intervention through palliative care or treatment of children with life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses.<\/p>
Lambano has four homes and an 18-bed paediatric sub-acute\/hospice facility.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur impact indicators reflect that our programmes are working,” said Portia Mlangeni, fund-raiser for Lambano Sanctuary.<\/p>
\u201cThough all the children at our homes are infected with HIV, they are thriving and functioning optimally within the parameters of their potential.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe lives of the critically ill children at the paediatric facility are prolonged in a comfortable and pain-free manner, due to the support of our partners, who enable us to continue with a high level of individualised care and treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lambano Sanctuary was established in May 2001, as an organisation that cares and provides treatment support for HIV-infected and affected children.<\/p>\n
There were very few organisations that took HIV-positive children into their care at that time and it\u2019s for that reason the organisation was founded.<\/p>\n
Over its 14 years of existence, Lambano Sanctuary has grown from one home to four homes permanently caring for 28 HIV-positive children who are now between the ages of nine and 18.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany of our other children have since been adopted both locally and internationally,” said Mlangeni.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur growth also enabled us to open our 18-bed paediatric sub-acute\/hospice facility in 2009, which is now the only facility of its kind in the whole Gauteng province.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe pride ourselves on our level of transparency, high moral principles and the dedication of our workers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lambano\u2019s mission is to accept into its care children who have been abandoned\/orphaned, especially those affected by HIV\/Aids, and to provide these children with a caring environment, where they will be nurtured and cared for physically, emotionally and spiritually, with unconditional love.<\/p>\n
The four homes each have a permanent resident housemother.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recognise the exceptional vulnerability of the children and proclaim that they are entitled to special care and assistance by their caregivers,\u201d said Mlangeni.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs all the children are infected with HIV we ensure that they maintain a healthy lifestyle and receive the necessary support at school.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe children are now between the ages of nine and 18 years and many of them have been with Lambano since birth and now attend various schools around our neighbourhood.<\/p>\n
\u201cFour of our children attend schools that cater for their special needs.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt costs us approximately R7 500 to care for each child monthly and this encompasses housing, education, food, clothing, therapeutic support, transport and outings.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sub-acute\/hospice facility admits children for either palliative care (care of the dying) or offers a medical step-down from hospitals or the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also take in children suffering from other health complications, such as renal, cardiac, brain damage, cancer, burns, muscular dystrophy and respiratory problems,” said Mlangeni.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany children come in desperately ill or dying and, due to our medical intervention and care, most are now leading healthy and productive lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe treat each case individually and, through our micro-nursing and treatment, we have successfully saved the lives of many children, as we spare no costs when treating their illnesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a home-based care system which encourages effective care and treatment at home once the children have been discharged from our facility.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lambano has recently opened a secondhand shop to help to raise funds for the organisation.<\/p>\n
Currently it sells mainly clothing, household accessories, toys and baby items.<\/p>\n
As an NGO, Lambano relies heavily on funds in order to continue its services to benefit the disadvantaged children in its care and those admitted to the sub-acute\/hospice.<\/p>\n
Marketing and fund-raising events have also become a reliable source of small-scale but regular income.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Other articles about Lambano Sactuary:<\/p>\n
Fun in the sun at Lambano Sanctuary\u2019s family picnic day<\/a><\/p>\n