Disability is not an inability for Thandi Ndlovu (59), a disabled person and founder of Sithandiwe Disabled Care Centre in Alexandra in 2006.
“When growing up I couldn’t understand why disabled people were neglected, hence this centre,” she said. “We currently support 93 children and adults from Alexandra and Thembisa. Fifteen children stay here as they are orphans. Others are severely disabled and only taken home on weekends when their parents and guardians are present. The rest are brought to and returned from the centre daily.”
The centre recently received a grant of R950 000 from the Airports Company of South Africa and purchased a house in Lombardy East where they have relocated from a small site in 2nd Avenue, Alexandra. Its operational costs come from monthly fees of R500 for children and R350 for adults, Ndlovu’s disability grant contribution and ad hoc donations from churches and individuals.
According to Ndlovu, the centre’s resources were inadequate to provide specialist services, particularly for those with cerebral palsy. The centre does get occasional help from doctors at the rehabilitation unit at Alex Clinic and from the Department of Social Development. But the help is not provided daily.
“Our care workers can only provide limited stimulation for relief of stiffness and brain functioning,” she said. “Sometimes they pass these stimulation skills to parents and guardians for use on their children but most of them fail to apply them.
“This is disheartening and is a form of neglect as it denies our beneficiaries crucial support for coping with their disability,” Ndlovu lamented. She added that some of their beneficiaries were exposed to alcohol and were sexually abused at their homes without the knowledge of their parents and guardians. She wished they could keep all the beneficiaries at the centre to avoid the abuse.
Despite the challenges, the centre is grateful to Woolworths Rivonia and Fourways, Engen and Feed South Africa for food donations, and Paige project for the centre’s vehicle.
Zandile Ndlovu, the centre administrator appealed for help with transport to ease the burden on their one vehicle and also to improve their centre into a fully-fledged facility with well-trained staff.
For details contact: Zandile Ndlovu on 071 435 5853
