Margaret dreams of healthcare for all
Her dream is to have a place where she can train others to do the work she does.
HEALTHCARE worker, Margaret Ntombiyenkosi Khomo, finds her volunteer work with the elderly and disabled living at the Lacey Road Informal Settlement extremely rewarding.
Margaret, who was born in High Flats in 1966, started taking care of the elderly in 2000, and since then has helped many people in the community.
“I have a passion for helping the elderly. At the time there were strikes at the hospitals and I would go to people’s houses to help them as they couldn’t get to the hospitals for the care they needed,” she said.
Margaret does home-based ancillary healthcare and massage for the disabled and elderly, as well as helping them with their SASSA grants and phoning hospitals for them to make appointments to see doctors.
She said her dream is to have a place where she can train others to do what she does, as there is a great need in the community.
“I am the only one who does this in ward 31. I would like to train others to help too,” she said.
“I really enjoy what I do. I like old ladies, and I enjoy joking and playing around with them! I was changing a woman’s nappy once and she asked me why I was smiling. I told her I was happy, that I enjoyed being able to help the elderly and disabled children,” she said.
Margaret said she was faced with many challenges in her work, and spoke of a case she was currently dealing with.
“A 32-year-old woman was raped by her boyfriend. I am trying to organise a small place for her to stay away from her boyfriend as she can’t get a grant or assistance while she is living with her abuser. I also face the challenge of trying to do grants for the disabled. I am working to get permission for the SASSA grant not to lapse after one year. A doctor will write that a person only needs a grant for a year, instead of two years. I am working with a local doctor and we are getting somewhere with this,” she said.
She said her biggest challenge was that some patients required money to apply for grants, and she herself has to find donations to get this done.
“I would appreciate it if the community could help with any food parcels for people who haven’t yet qualified for a grant, but who still need food for their families. I am also fighting for children who are living with their grandparents and have outstanding debt at schools, so any help with funding would help,” she said.
Margaret said she previously had a drop-off point for items, but that she is looking for a new place where donations could be left for her to distribute.
If you can help in any way, contact Margaret on 076 246 4195 or email ward31@ethekwini.org.
