Zibonele

A key focus of Zibonele is on community-based health care and use of face-to-face exchanges to stimulate health awareness for behaviour change. "Zibonele feels that its greatest strength is that the project is 'community owned' with the employees all coming from and serving the community." Namely, Zibonele's 15 community health workers and 3 women's wellness workers were elected from the Khayelitsha community, an informal settlement outside Cape Town; together, these personnel treat minor ailments, operate a referral system to other specialists and hospitals, and provide the community with health education. The health education takes the form of one-on-one counselling as well as workshops covering topics such as breast feeding and tuberculosis. The workers also operate the Community Based Distribution (CBD) project, through they provide contraception and reproductive health education. In addition, community rehabilitation workers are trained to work specifically with disabled people. They offer physical therapy assistance, make referrals, organise disability grants from the government, and, in general, help optimise the physical environment of the individual.

Home-based visits are one means Zibonele uses to reach community members who may otherwise have difficulty receiving health care and health information. Specifically, the womens' wellness workers specialise in women abuse and pre- and post-natal home visits. These workers are trained to deal with the emotional as well as the practical issues arising from abuse and violence. New mothers are assisted in initiating breast-feeding, bathing the child, and in meeting other relevant needs.

Zibonele uses entertaining methods to reach children with health information. Through the Child-to-Child Programme, children ranging from 5 to 13 years of age are engaged in health education through songs, cultural dances, and the dramatisation of relevant topics. Participants are encouraged to use these songs and skits to spread health or life skills messages to other children or to their families.

This project also draws on community media - Radio Zibonele - to spread health messages to the community. The broadcasts cover a wide range of issues pertinent to the community, and feature health and life skills programmes, as well as youth programmes. The radio station operates independently of Zibonele and is sustained through income generated from advertisements on the station.

Health, Children, Family Planning, Women.