Impumelelo Self-Help Centre aims to restore residents’ independence

The Impumelelo Self-Help Centre in Pollak Park has only one mission – to help improve the quality of life of disabled people.
Over the past 17 years, the centre has catered for the needs of the disabled and provides permanent accommodation, transport, meals, support services and 24-hour care.
It was established with the help of the Social Development regional office in Springs, Pick n Pay, the QuadPara Association of South Africa and House Otto Self-Help Centre for Quadriplegics.

Through the self-help centre concept, Impumelelo aims to:
• Contribute to the rehabilitation of quad/paraplegics and disabled people.
• Provide information and support services to improve the daily functioning of quad/paraplegics and their families.
• Provide access to assistive devices.
• Build policies for the protection of rights of disabled people.
Alongside helping to improve the quality of life for the disabled, the centre has an outreach programme that focuses on the following:
• Prevention of spinal core injury through awareness programmes and capacity building.
Throughout the year, but especially during the festive season, the centre, in partnership with the QuadPara Association of South Africa, runs a campaign to encourage drivers to wear their seat belts when driving.

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The slogan for the campaign is, ‘Buckle up, we don’t want new members.’
• The improvement of the human dignity of spinally injured through supervisor care and support programmes.
An example of this would be the centre’s nursing staff helping the the disabled person’s family learn how to look after them after they have been disabled.
• Offering spinally injured greater independence and to promote personal development through rehabilitation.
The centre helps disabled people find work, and helps them with the job searching, drafting CVs, preparation for interviews and how to conduct yourself at work.
• Offering spinally injured and community member’s access to capacity building programmes and information.
At present, the centre has seven permanent residents and is run through a management committee.

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The committee is also responsible for fund-raising and these funds pay for the centre’s municipal rates, staff salaries and maintenance of the centre.
The centre, which is based in Pollak Park, also does work in Kwa-Thema, Tsakani, Kwatsaduza, Daveyton and Nigel, in addition to the other five self-help centres they work with around Gauteng.
Next week, the Advertiser will speak to Joseph Machweu, a resident at the centre, who also heads up the management committee.

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