Financial feedback August

Dear all,

As you can read on our website, we report on what's been done at each of our partner projects financially on a monthly basis.

So here it goes!

In August for the Dream Centre funds have been spent on:


- Diversional therapy programmes

Funds have been used for diversional therapy programmes (bingo, artwork, beadwork, transport costs, movie night, etc) with the patients. Diversional therapy activities enhance the patient's mental and physical capacity through interaction in games and social activity. The issues addressed are the need for mental and physical stimulation, hand-eye coordination as well as ensuring that patients get out of bed thus limiting bed sores.
Approximately 50 patients attend each activity. Each activity is held weekly. Patients involved in these activities include patients on the ARV programme and those preparing for discharge.
The programme is reviewed monthly to ascertain its effectiveness and relevance. This review is done with staff and volunteers.
This is a project that has grown steadily and has the interest of the majority of patients. They are pleased at the opportunity to learn skills (beadwork) that can be used in the community thus ensuring that income generating work is done to supplement income.
This project is largely volunteer supervised. Volunteers make purchases and arrange times, venues etc for the project as well as ensuring that patients are brought from the wards and returned to the wards.


- Water project

Funds have been used for the water project. This includes the supply and fitting of the new hot water system.
This funding has enabled the Dream Centre to provide a constant supply of hot water to all the wards and the entire building. This is especially helpful when one considers the number of patients admitted (approximately 120) and the need for hot water for bathing.
At any time 120 patients as well as volunteers and staff will be benefitting from the installation of the new hot water system.
This project will stop once the entire system has been delivered, installed and is fully operational. Routine maintenance will take place to ensure that the system functions optimally.
Volunteers were involved in the initial enquiries regarding the need for a new system. Different companies were approached and various meetings took place at the Dream Centre. The hot water system also supplies water to the voluneer's accommodation quarters.
Patients, staff and volunteers are excited at the prospect of continuous hot water at the Dream Centre!


- Bed project

Funds have been used to pay for the bed/special mattress project. This includes the supply of mattresses clinically designed to assist with bed sores, posture and mobility.
This funding has enabled the Dream Centre to provide numerous clinically designed beds to all the wards for patients requiring special mattresses. This is crucial in terms of preventing bed sores and correct positioning of patients.
At any given time all patients identified by the clinical staff and requiring special mattresses wll be benefitting from the mattresses.
This project is a once-off project and will be reviewed in the next two to three years depending on the durability of the mattresses obtained.
Volunteers were involved in the initial enquiries regarding the need for therapeutic mattresses. Different companies were approached and various meetings took place at the Dream Centre. The volunteers are satisfied that their funding could meet the rehabilitation needs of the specific patients.
The patients, staff and volunteers are satisfied that the clinical therapeutic and rehabilitation needs of the patients can be met through the mattresses.


- Washing machine project

Funds have been used to pay for the supply and installation of the industrial washing machines.
This funding has enabled the Dream Centre to provide additional washing machines to accommodate the washing capacity of the Dream Centre. The previous washing machines were extremely old and required repairs constantly and needed to be replaced. Patients now have clean and dried clothes more readily than previously.
Volunteers were involved in the initial enquiries regarding the need for the washing machines. Volunteers are often assisting in the laundry and were able to identify first hand the problems with the old machines resulting in the delay in the provisioning of clean, washed clothes.
Patients, staff and volunteers are very happy that clean washed clothes can be available at all times.


- Medicine project

Funds have been used to pay for the supply of urgent medicine for certain patients.
This funding has enabled the Dream Centre to provide urgently needed medication not usually provided by the government supplier. These medications were needed to treat patient's special clinical conditions and were needed without delay. The issue of expanding the Dream Centre's pharmacy and the lack of appropriate medicines has become apparant in this instance.
The patients have been provided with much needed medication. The provision of the medication resulted in patients being treated without delay.


- Oxygen project

Funds have been used to pay for the supply of urgently needed oxygen for specific patients.
This funding has enabled the Dream Centre to provide urgently needed oxygen not usually provided by the government supplier. The oxygen tanks were refilled and used to treat patients experiencing breathing difficulties prior to transfer to state hospitals. The need to have a constant supply of readily available oxygen has been identified and addressed through this exercise.
The patients have been provided with much needed oxygen therapy assisting with breathing and extending life capacity. The provision of the oxygen resulted in patients being threated without delay, stabilised and thereafter referred to government hospitals for further treatment.


Any input you might have regarding these reports is more than welcome.

Kind regards,

Jetske