Category: Health

June seemed a bit quiet!

by Sr. Elsa Joseph 

Vegetable garden at hope house

The month of June was a quiet month with only a few clients with severe pressure sores, we had to battle with the wounds and it took a while to show some improvements. The fear of COVID 19 is still in the hearts of all the clients, staff and care givers. With the low immune system of the clients who are under our care we had to be very vigilant in admitting clients at the facility. Mr. D came from the hospital with a very deep pressure sore, his condition was very very serious. Another man came in very ill and is recovering now.

We have a vegetable garden which provides fresh vegetables to our clients to add to the balanced diet. This provides a speedy recovery for our clients. Continue reading “June seemed a bit quiet!” →

Hope house still supported despite pandemic

by Sr. Elsa Joseph

Honorable Health Minister, Lizzie Nkosi visited Hope house on 24th April 2020 and donated face masks, liquid soap and sanitisers, which we distributed to the staff, patients and minders. She made a tour of Hope house, visited clients, physio department etc and was wonder-struck about the cleanliness, flower and vegetable garden, units, and conducive atmosphere for the speedy recovery of the clients for the first time after becoming the minister of Health. She said now I am relaxed and can return to work after being tensed and worried about the situation around.

The Government deployed Staff Nurse Mr. Mabuza joined duty on 4th April 2020, in the place of a nurse who was transferred to TB hospital Manzini, Mr Mabuza is very committed and very much interested in palliative Nursing care. On 14th April the city council of Manzini, together with Illa pen boy and his team, the PRO Mr. Mathakoza and his team donated Bread and visited hope house . The bread was distributed to all the clients. Continue reading “Hope house still supported despite pandemic” →

Journeying together during the coronavirus

By Fr Francis Onyango IMC

For many of us church has been like our second home, a place where we visit for solace when times are hard, a place where we feel free and comfortable to spend time and interact with fellow Christians and sometimes even after service we enjoy to hang around bonding with each other as we nurture our family spirit.

Sunday for many years has been our day of obligation, a day set apart for the worship of God and we naturally wake up geared for church. Then Corona virus came along and our church services were suspended; government placed restriction on gatherings and travels and God’s people were left unsure of what to do. Breaking a long held tradition isn’t always easy and this was one such tradition; waking up on a Sunday morning without a clue of what to do or where to go or how to spend the day was the most boring thing to happen on a Sunday.

Continue reading “Journeying together during the coronavirus” →

A call to prudence not a sign of faithlessness

by Fr Ncamiso Vilakati

In my past three years here in Rome, never have I seen a quiet, serene eternal city before. Staying right at the heart of the city, habitually until 4am, there is movement of people. When all of a sudden there is unobtrusive and withdrawn noise that itself seems so foreign to me. The Covid-19 pandemic (coronavirus), has brought to a standstill the once glorious Rome. How sad it is when we see from television how subdued Rome has become not withstanding my other beloved city Milan. Continue reading “A call to prudence not a sign of faithlessness” →

Cardinal Turkson Addresses Church Leaders on Coronavirus

Source: zenit.org

To the Presidents of the Episcopal Conferences,
To the Bishops in Charge of Health Pastoral Ministry
To the Socio-Sanitary and Pastoral Operators,
To the Civil Authorities
To the Sick and Their Families,
To the Volunteers and to All Persons of Good Will,

Peace be with you!

We are living days of intense preoccupation and growing anxiety, days in which human fragility and the vulnerability of the presumed technical security are undermined at the global level by the Coronavirus (COVID-19), before which all the most significant activities are bowing, as the economy, entrepreneurship, work, trips, tourism, sport, and even worship, and its infection also limits notably freedom of space and movement. The Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development wishes to unite itself to the voice of the Holy Father, thus renewing the Church’s closeness in the animation of the Health Pastoral to all those suffering from the infection of COVID-19, to the victims and their families, as well as to all health workers committed on the front line, deepening every energy in caring for the people affected and in bringing them relief. Continue reading “Cardinal Turkson Addresses Church Leaders on Coronavirus” →

Sacrificium at the time of Coronavirus

by Fr Zweli Ngwenya

From Rome where he shares a house with 193 priests, Fr Zweli Ngwenya reflects on our lives being affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Sacrificium is the Latin word for sacrifice. In Christian spirituality, sacrifice can be defined as that act that makes us to be what we truly are. As Christians we are the body of Christ and we can never be such without doing some sacrifice. Sacrifice is not only an act of love but it is also a sign of love. The greatest sacrifice was on the cross when our Lord showed us how much he loved us; he gave up his life for our sake. Christians all over the world today proclaim this love. We know we are loved because Jesus showed us this love. Continue reading “Sacrificium at the time of Coronavirus” →

Caring for the people of God

by Sr Elsa Joseph

August was a quite months having not many serious clients. We have a 28 year old admitted in unit” A “with a 2 year old with poor Adherence. She has two kids and is expecting the 3rd born. She is diagnosed with a VL 167000 and CD4 count 159, she has a lot of social issues at home and is depressed. MK, 33 years another defaulter, made a big improvement and went back home, then developed complications, he was admitted at St. Lukes Mission and was very ill.

He developed pressure sores and again returned on the 13th of September in a very serious condition to Hope house. Mrs. N 34 and T who came with a severe condition are well again and were discharged. Both of them are very happy and T went back to school and Mrs N to her family to take care of her kids. Continue reading “Caring for the people of God” →

Gratitude from Hope House

by Sr. Elsa

July was a very busy month with house full of patients .Three of the clients were suffering from the third stage of Cancer and came with very serious conditions, all three of them died in RFM hospital after being referred. The four kids of Client S were discharged and went back home well improved in their condition and to continue with the ARVs. They had gained weight and were much improved.

T, 15 years, a defaulter is still battling for his life, he had been sent home and lost a lot of weight. M.K 33 years, another defaulter, has made a big improvement from the 23rd of July, now he is able to talk, eat and walk, we pray that he will be able to return back to his work. His girlfriend is taking care of him very well. Mrs. N 34 years came with her TB drugs and ARVs and was blind. The good balanced diet, physiotherapy and tender loving care promoted a speedy recovery. Her husband a soldier is also on ARVs.
Continue reading “Gratitude from Hope House” →