Helping mothers in need

Hope iThemba is a non-profit, pregnancy crisis organisation that opened in 2008. It aims to help women going through pregnancy and mothers of young children understand their pregnancy and care for their children.

Pat Kemp, centre director at Hope iThemba, says they see, on average, about 20 women a day and they hand out food and clothing packages.

The centre is run on money donated to it, and also gets donations of food and clothing for babies and clothing for mothers as well as the dedicated time and passion of volunteers.

“Women who get pregnant and need someone to support them and guide them come to us and we counsel them on proper care of themselves as well as their unborn babies, all free of charge,” says Pat.

The centre provides counselling for the mothers as well as information on how to deal with their pregnancy and organises for them to get check-ups at hospital.

“We do ultra-sounds here as well so she can see her baby’s progression.

“The ultra-sound is done as soon as she comes to us, just to make sure she is pregnant. A lot of people miss their period and automatically think they are pregnant, but might not be,” says Pat.

The centre has the baby safe, which is a safe and private place for women who don’t want their babies to place the child, but Pat urges them to rather come into the centre to get help.

“We will walk with them and present them with the different options, those being adoption, keeping their baby and, unfortunately, abortion.”

The centre works very closely with the social workers at the Far East Rand Hopital.

“We refer people to them and they refer people to us, we have a very good relationship,” Pat says.

Recently, Springs Park Rotary Club donated two industrial leather sewing machines to Hope iThemba which they plan to use to let some of the mothers make leather products to generate a small income.

“We have someone providing us with leather off cuts which is a huge blessing and got the ball rolling on this project.”

One of the Hope iThemba staff members is currently being trained to co-ordinate these classes and they hope to have it up and running within the next few months.

“At first, we will identify one or two of the women who come to us and teach them how to make the products. They will then sell them to some of the interested people we have lined up so that they can make some money to support their families,” says Pat.

Pat believes Hope iThemba has been blessed with so many miracles so that they can keep helping women and try to save as many babies as possible.

“If we put the story of Hope iThemba out there, I believe it will help sell the leather items and we will be able to make the project so much bigger.”