Wellness Centre serves the needy

A NEW Wellness Centre at Kenneth Gardens was opened recently.

This centre is a project of the successful partnership between the Durban University of Technology, Kenneth Gardens’s Senzokuhle Community-Based Organisation and now the Glenridge Church.

The Homeopathy Department at DUT runs a weekly clinic in the area, with the aim being to combine allopathic and alternative health care services in the facility. At present, the very well supported Homeopathic Clinic in Kenneth Gardens is the only homeopathy clinic existing within a low income housing estate in the country.

The Wellness Centre is run by Khanyi Sibiya, a resident of Kenneth Gardens and the founder of Senzokhule Home Based Care. The success of the Wellness Centre and the move of the clinic to the new building is the result of the collaborations between DUT and Kenneth Gardens residents and Glenridge Church.

The new facility is situated within the Kenneth Gardens Housing Estate, in a previously dilapidated building. This once dilapidated building has been completely renovated, with huge assistance from Glenridge Church. The fundraising initiative was championed by Mark Slaughter and pastor Stan Phipps, and R100 000 was raised to renovate.

This wellness centre will go a long way in meeting the primary health care needs of the residents of Umbilo and the rest of ward who currently have no local clinic and who have to travel to Wentworth Hospital for healthcare services as a result.

“We used to see patients in another building in Kenneth Gardens, but there was no privacy. Now we have our own space for the clinic, with a lock up storage facility for medication and toilet facilities. It is 100 times better than before! I feel it is now time for the municipality to show its support of this initiative and help put in electricity at the building,” said Dr Kira Erwin.

Khanyi said she was looking for donations, such as sewing machines, beads for beadwork, good quality old clothes to sell to buy bandages and to pay for transport, breakfast food for patients visiting the clinic, another desk and a filing cabinet for patient records, bandages, wound dressings and oil for massaging, as well as board games and playing cards to stimulate patients while they waited.

“We are also looking for more home-based care patients, and hope to extend our services, and appeal to retired doctors and nurses to contact us to get involved. We need people who are patient, who can volunteer at the clinic,” said Kira.

If you can help, contact Khanyi on 083 968 0916.