Khethiwe Rehab Centre Outreach Programme

What We Do

Holistic approach to Care and Rehabilitation

Khethiwe’s primary aim is to offer rehabilitation, following the Neurodevelopmental therapy (NDT) approach.

Seeing children once a month is far from ideal, but as this is the only option for families who are struggling to put bread on the table, this is the reality Khethiwe deals with. We adapt our approach accordingly.

Children, spend a morning once or twice a month at Khethiwe where the therapist does some therapy and also guides mum in lifestyle regimes of appropriate positioning and exercises. In other words, mothers are not given a long list of exercises to do, but rather shown ways of incorporating them into daily activities, (For instance a few things to do with every nappy change, how to exercise the child’s hands while mum is sitting quietly with the child on her lap and how best to position the child for feeding, sleeping, and the importance of positioning 24/24)

A unique feature of Khethiwe, is that our actual common for all or generic exercise sessions have naturally evolved to being largely based on singing, with isiZulu songs to help mothers remember the exercise routines and engage the children.

As soon as families are settled into therapy the process of getting a grant is facilitated. Currently all the children are receiving Care Dependency grants. Numerous families exist off only that grant. Mothers receive counseling on the importance of attending therapy regularly and budgeting for the monthly trip.

Once they commence treatment, most children are sent for a full medical workup at the referral hospital including CT scan, visual and audiometric screening. They continue with medical management at a local Hospital.

Children are screened for placement at local schools and applications are facilitated for those who will be able to be formally educated.

As part of the treatment some children participate in therapeutic horse riding with South Africa Riding for the Disabled Association (SARDA).

Children are also assessed, by the provincial orthotists, for surgical appliances supplied through the provincial suppliers at Wentworth Hospital. Assistive devices such as buggies and wheelchairs are currently supplied by Lotto.

Khethiwe also works with a mission organization in the Eastern Cape (Timion) which makes equipment such as supportive positioning chairs, standing frames and walkers and these are supplied at cost to organizations such as ours. Through support of donors over forty children have been given positioning chairs, standing frames, or benches supplied by Timion.

Emotional and family support is a vital part of treating the children holistically. The more the severely a child is affected the more support the family needs along this journey. This peer support is a lifeline for families who are desperate for understanding and encouragement, who do not have the resources that most people take for granted in the internet age. Enabling the mothers to cope better ensures better coping of the whole family and has a direct impact on the well being of the child.

Socialization is also a very important aspect of the therapy, the highlight of which is the annual Christmas party, the only occasion where everyone comes together on the same day. It is a time for celebrating all that has been good in the year and doing something special for children and mums.

3 Branches of Outreach

Life-skills Program

Khethiwe is running an outreach program providing life skills training in the local community

Home Visits

Khethiwe does home visits to the homes of the children in the community.

Horse Riding

Taking children horse riding with South Africa Riding for the Disabled (SARDA)

Khethiwe is running an outreach program the consists of three branches reaching out into the community and encompassing community collaboration. The first is at three community day care centers: Happy Hours, Sisonke and Auckland providing a life-skills program to children and teenagers with cognitive and sometimes concurrent physical impairments

In addition to this Khethiwe does home visits to the homes of the Khethiwe children in the community. Family Home Visiting is an effective, evidence-based strategy for improving outcomes for children through parental support and early intervention (Olds, 1998)

The third branch of the Outreach is taking children horse riding with South Africa Riding for the Disabled (SARDA).

All of the above Outreach opportunities have come about as Khethiwe has grown and developed and have been born from a desire to go the extra mile. However this program is costly particularly in terms of transport and is only made possible by the extra budget. if Khethiwe is short of funds, the Outreach needs to be the first to go as it is not core business. This would be a huge loss at the impact on the children in the surrounding communities has been substantial.

Khethiwe - Our Core Values

01.

— Passion

We are committed to excellence in all that we do

02.

— Integrity

We are honest in all our dealings with clients, community and colleagues, treating everyone with respect and dignity

03.

— Empowerment

Our model is based on the empowerment of those we serve to help their children reach their maximum potential

04.

— Resilience

We persevere even in the face of slow progress and strive to be courageous in the face of opposition

05.

— Service to others

is what we are all about

06.

— Building Family

We network extensively with other organisations governmental, hospitals and NGO’s building up a sustainable network of resources