Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust celebrates three decades of service
Originally founded in 1990 by the Hillcrest Methodist Church, HACT was one of the first NGO’s in South Africa to respond to the emerging HIV/AIDS epidemic.
STAFF and patients from the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust (HACT) gathered on 1 December for a special candle lighting ceremony to mark World AIDS Day as well as 30 years of providing unconditional love and hope to people impacted by HIV/AIDS.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the charity was forced to postpone their plans for a major anniversary celebration this year and opted instead for a small gathering which was held outdoors in the centre’s beautiful memorial garden.
Speaking about the celebration, HACT’s CEO, Candace Davidson said, “While we were all initially excited at the prospect of commemorating this important milestone with our friends, donors and partners from around the world, our team agreed that this was not the time for big celebrations, but rather an opportunity for reflection and solidarity in the wake of what has been a very difficult and challenging year for us all, especially those HACT exists to serve.”
Originally founded in 1990 by the Hillcrest Methodist Church, HACT was one of the first NGO’s in South Africa to respond to the emerging HIV/AIDS epidemic and has since grown into a dynamic, multi-faceted organisation whose holistic and innovative approach to assisting those infected and affected by the disease has seen them win multiple awards over the past three decades.
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While HACT’s projects and services continue to grow throughout KwaZulu-Natal, the charity still focuses on the local disadvantaged communities of the Valley of 1000 Hills.
Here, the organisation’s work directly impacts the lives of over 10 000 people every year, the majority of whom are women and orphaned and vulnerable children and young people.
Speaking at HACT’s moving candle lighting ceremony where 54 candles were lit, one for each patient their team had lost in their care over the past year, HACT’s chairperson and registered nurse, Sister Julie Hornby commented on the remarkable journey the charity has been on since its humble beginnings in a rusty container on the local church’s property.
“As an organisation, HACT has always tried to be responsive, growing and adapting our projects as the needs of our beneficiaries have evolved with the epidemic. From providing free inpatient care to those in advanced stages of the disease who have no-one to care for them at home, to supporting rural grandmothers struggling with the financial and emotional burden of caring for their orphaned grandchildren, responding to pandemics in a practical and sustainable way is what HACT excels at,” said Hornby.
For more information on HACT and its many projects, visit their website or follow them on Facebook @HillcrestAIDSCentreTrust.
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