A non-profit organisation, In the Public Interest (IPI), would like to get more involved in the community they operate in.
The organisation offers home-based care services such as patient care, pregnancy care, post-natal care, substance abuse counselling for youngsters and adults, wellness promotions for the elderly and youth and women, as well as support groups.
The NPO partnered with the provincial Department of Health’s Klipfontein and Mitchell’s Plain substructures home and community-based care programme.
Shireen Ebrahim, one of the founders of the organisation, said they found a need in the community for a frail care service and noticed that a lot more needed to be done in the communities.
In January Ms Ebrahim together with her partners, Dr Ahmed Haffajee and Shanaaz Majiet from Rondebosch, launched the NPO in Sybrand Park, Garlandale, Lansdowne, parts of Rondebosch East and Brown’s Farm and Philippi near Mitchell’s Plain.
A total of 44 care workers are deployed into the areas – 29 to the Mitchell’s Plain area and 15 to Klipfontein and other areas. They work four and a half hours every day from Monday to Friday.
Ms Ebrahim said while the NPO’s focus is on underprivileged people, they will also accommodate any person who needs their services such as senior citizens who cannot get themselves to hospital.
“Our care workers will go into the homes of the people who need us and do an assessment on the needs in the home,” said Ms Ebrahim.
“We’d like to build a good relationship with the community,” she said.
She said the government is not able to deal with all the primary health care needs of the community and this is where IPI fits in.
“We are helping government through this initiative and hopefully we can extend its resources to the people who need it,” she added.
She also said that if the community feels there is a need for other services, IPI is open to recommendations.
* If anyone requires the services offered by IPI, call 079 665 1357, from Monday to Friday, between 9am and 1.30pm.
