Two months after its launch, the eight-week home-based care training programme in Alexandra is already demonstrating its value in bridging critical gaps in community health support.
With participants now engaged in practical rotations, the initiative is equipping young people with skills that enable early detection of health risks, an approach its facilitators say is essential to reducing preventable deaths in homes lacking consistent care.

Patrick Ngidi, programme facilitator, highlighted the life-saving importance of these basic competencies. Trainees are learning to monitor blood pressure and blood sugar levels, allowing for timely intervention before conditions escalate. “Some people collapse and die preventable deaths simply because there was no one in the house taking care of them, so, this training is very necessary.”

Read more: Eight-week programme empowers youth to bridge Alexandra’s caregiver gap

The partnership between Gift of Day and Sibongile Home Based Care, launched in April at Entokozweni Day Care Centre, was designed to address the disconnect between formal healthcare services and the daily realities of Alexandra residents. After an initial phase focused on theory, covering personal hygiene, psycho-social support, first aid, fire prevention, substance abuse awareness, and local community challenges, the programme has moved rapidly into hands-on application at old age homes and care centres. This shift to practical experience is already yielding results. Participants have supported multiple facilities, applying their training to real caregiving situations involving elderly residents. The emphasis is on proactive monitoring and early response, positioning these young caregivers as a vital layer of support that can ease pressure on overstretched families and public health systems.

Trainee Slindo Mdlangathi said the programme has formalised skills she developed while caring for her grandmother. She has found particular fulfilment in assisting elderly individuals who can no longer manage independently. “Thus far, I am enjoying it, helping the elderly.”

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She added that the experience has inspired her to expand into child caregiving. Mdlangathi credited the training with boosting her confidence and effectiveness.

Ngidi explained that the programme deliberately targets the gap in home-based oversight, where frail individuals often go unmonitored until a crisis occurs. By grooming local youth to provide consistent, skilled care, the initiative not only fills immediate shortages; it fosters longer-term resilience in the community.

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