Lambano Sanctuary is about providing holistic residential care to children who have suffered deprivation, abandonment and are orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV/Aids.
The organisation also provides multi-level intervention through palliative care or treatment of children with life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses.
Lambano has four homes and an 18-bed paediatric sub-acute/hospice facility.
“Our impact indicators reflect that our programmes are working,” said Portia Mlangeni, fund-raiser for Lambano Sanctuary.
“Though all the children at our homes are infected with HIV, they are thriving and functioning optimally within the parameters of their potential.
“The 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.”
Lambano Sanctuary was established in May 2001, as an organisation that cares and provides treatment support for HIV-infected and affected children.
There were very few organisations that took HIV-positive children into their care at that time and it’s for that reason the organisation was founded.
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.
“Many of our other children have since been adopted both locally and internationally,” said Mlangeni.
“Our 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.
“We pride ourselves on our level of transparency, high moral principles and the dedication of our workers.”
Lambano’s 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.
The four homes each have a permanent resident housemother.
“We recognise the exceptional vulnerability of the children and proclaim that they are entitled to special care and assistance by their caregivers,” said Mlangeni.
“As all the children are infected with HIV we ensure that they maintain a healthy lifestyle and receive the necessary support at school.
“The 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.
“Four of our children attend schools that cater for their special needs.
“It costs us approximately R7 500 to care for each child monthly and this encompasses housing, education, food, clothing, therapeutic support, transport and outings.”
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.
“We also take in children suffering from other health complications, such as renal, cardiac, brain damage, cancer, burns, muscular dystrophy and respiratory problems,” said Mlangeni.
“Many children come in desperately ill or dying and, due to our medical intervention and care, most are now leading healthy and productive lives.
“We 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.
“We have a home-based care system which encourages effective care and treatment at home once the children have been discharged from our facility.”
Lambano has recently opened a secondhand shop to help to raise funds for the organisation.
Currently it sells mainly clothing, household accessories, toys and baby items.
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.
Marketing and fund-raising events have also become a reliable source of small-scale but regular income.
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Fun in the sun at Lambano Sanctuary’s family picnic day
