One of the biggest challenges in paediatric HIV today is the retention of care of patients who have started anti-retroviral treatment (ART). HOPE to Home is a project at Tygerberg Hospital that aims to help children and their caregivers in making the transition between treatment as an inpatient in Tygerberg Hospital’s ward and being treated as an outpatient in the community health setting/home. Today we meet one of the HOPE to Home care workers who shares her journey with us.
Eva Coetzee, mother of 2 children grew up on a farm just outside Malmesbury, Cape Town. Life was not easy for her as she lost her mom at the age of 12 and without the primary “bread winner” present, it was extremely difficult for them as a family. Being the second youngest out of 4 siblings, they needed to find ways to survive and opted to work on chicken farms over weekends to buy food and clothes. This lasted for a while until Eva decided to drop out of school during her grade 11 year.
In 2010, she then moved to Santekraam, Durbanville to find greener pastures and found a job on a wine farm. She wanted to ensure that her youngest brother continued school and supported him financially. She then started doing voluntary work at the clinics, assisting with basic administrative support and a few months later found herself working at the Grace Fellowship Centre as a home-based carer (HBC). With no experience and grade 11, they saw the potential in her and groomed her to be one of the best! The one thing she loved about her role as an HBC was the fact that she could interact with people who are facing life threatening illnesses and journey with them through their difficult time
In 2011 she then applied for a position as a community health worker at HOPE Cape Town. At first, she was very doubtful because of her lack of experience but believed if this was in God’s will, the doors would open – which it did! Eva loves her job especially engaging with people again. Her typical day at the office starts at 7am each morning, making her way through the wards and checking if moms and babies have been exposed to HIV. She is the liaison between the patient and doctor, ensuring that everything is recorded in their files.
In some case, especially when there are more than one patient in the ward, it can be difficult to communicate with patients regarding their HIV status as stigma is still and will continue to always be a problem area, however they do have access to counselling rooms and can address the situation with privacy. It’s really encouraging to see patients opening up to you and asking for prayer. Eva does believe that once you build good relationships with these patients and gain their trust, it’s easy to get a breakthrough to establish the root of their difficult circumstances.
One of the challenges I do experience is seeing children suffer but one of the biggest highlights is being able to put a smile on someone’s face.
