NURTURING the NURTURERS At times, Caregivers find themselves facing a host of new responsibilities, many of which are unfamiliar or intimidating. • At times they may feel overwhelmed and alone. • Often caregivers consider what they can or should do for others while neglecting themselves. • Caregivers normally experience burden or stress related issues because of the process in giving care to the patient or person in question MS MARIA NAKABINI MACHIKA’S STORY At Kopanong Home Base Centre, I use to care for a woman who was HIV positive. She was 18 years old. That was in 2003. The woman was very sick and I personally knew her. Her relatives had given up on her. They took her to hospital but she was turned back. I took upon myself to take her to the local clinic. She did all tests and TB was found. She was given treatment to start with immediate effect. I made sure that I cook for her and visit her every day (morning) because her treatment was for the morning hours. She was so stubborn and didn’t want to take her treatment. My day started with her. She didn’t want anyone else except me. She used to be open and share everything with me. She couldn’t do that to anyone else. Sometime she couldn’t bath herself and I bathed her. I had nothing but I’ll do my best to cook anything she was craving for. This took 6 months, and she fully recovered. As I speak she is healthy and very strong. This is one of the many stories I could share. One of the painful story was when a man of 32 years died in my hands. He was a full blown (HIV positive). I took care of him for 3 months and he only wanted me to take care of him. This was in 2004. Many a time, when I help out is when family has given up. I used to wash and bath him. It was not a pleasant scene as the smell and the condition was not bearable. I used to come in; open windows, doors and started bathing him; feed him and have a conversation while he was quiet. Our challenge was transport. We did not have transport to transport our patients. Care Giver Life Wish: To have two classrooms extended to her preschool and a kitchen. Comments: Ms Machika is a very committed community leader who is doing everything to better the lives of others. Today Ms Machika is the founder and principal of Zibuthe Day Care Centre (zibuthedaycare.wozaonline.co.za). She helps the needy and orphans. Her challenge is funding and mainly run the crèche from her pocket. The children are 53 and she hires 3 people.
Posted on: Sun, 04 Aug 2013 22:10:01 +0000
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