Page 48 - Rural Voice III - Responding to a Pandemic

Christiaan oErson
“Every Friday,
all the farmers in Clanwilliam would bring a lot of oranges and other fresh produce, and then we would package and distribute them to families.”
WORKING TOGETHER TO ASSIST
THE SICK AND HUNGRY
chrisTiaan oerson reflecTs on how The church and farming communiTy in clanwilliam helped The Team of sTaff, board members, care workers and volunTeers aT The ciTrusdal maTsikama aids neTwork To ensure The sick received Their medicaTion, and The hungry and jobless received food – during The harsh economic shuTdown during The covid-19 pandemic.
Before COVID-19 arrived, we at Citrusdal Matsikama AIDS Network were focused on helping people living with TB and HIV/AIDS. We also did the TB dot [direct observation treatment] programme, where 15 community care workers took TB medication from the clinic to 120 people living on farms. In addition, we ran a few soup kitchens.
how The pandemic impacTed The work of The ciTrusdal maTsikama aids neTwork in The communiTy
Our direct observation treatment programme could not continue during lockdown level 5, because we had to stop all our programmes. We fortunately came to an agreement with the donor, USAID, that we would go out on two days a week instead of five.
CEDERBERG MATSIKAMA AIDS NETWORK
The Cederberg Matsikama AIDS Network, established in 2011, operates in farming areas in the Cederberg and Matsikama Municipalities, 200 kilometres away from Cape Town in the West Coast District Municipality. The citrus farming agricultural towns of Clanwilliam and Citrusdal are found here. The non-profit and community-based organisation has a mission to provide health and wellness services and interventions to the West Coast region. It was formerly a legal advice office.
DISTRICT: West Coast Municipality
COVID-19 CASES: From March to the end of October 2020, there were 4,691 cases of COVID-19 reported in the West Coast District Municipality of the Western Cape. There were 385 fatalities.
DIRECTORS: Christiaan Oerson and Tanya Ludick
NUMBER OF STAFF: 16, NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS: 4
BOARD CHAIR: Macdonald Mdubuli
BOARD MEMBERS: Maria Ludick; Annemarie Skippers; Catherine Adams Barnies; Johannes Beukes
ADDRESS: 115 Voortrekker Street, Citrusdal, Western Cape, 7340
PHONE: 072 103 1286 / 022 921 2113, EMAIL: oersoncr15@gmail.com
RURAL VOICE III: RESPONDING TO A PANDEMIC
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