Tlhokomelong Community-Based Care and Support Service
A group of medical students at the University of the Free State have been assigned to work with Tlhokomelong Community-Based Care and Support Service, a non-profit organisation, situated in Phase 3, a rural area just outside Bloemfontein.
As part of one of their third-year modules, MEX354 – “Health and disease in populations”, which they have to successfully complete from January to June 2012, they have to fulfill the needs of a specific organisation through community service. The organisation they have been allocated to is “Age-in-Action.”
Age-in-Action was founded as “The South African Council for the Aged” on 13 September 1956 in Cape Town. It is a body representing more than 2,7 million older people. Its mission is to protect and promote the interests and well-being of all elderly persons. The Organisation also has over 800 NGO's as members who provide vital services to more than 150 000 older persons in need of care.
Their aim is to provide a sustainable vegetable garden for this centre. The centre caters both for breakfast and lunch to about 27 members of the community. For this, a mere R100 per member per month is provided. The caretakers have expressed their excitement in being able to grow their own food to reduce their expenses. They already have a vegetable garden and certain supplies, but still a lot of help is needed.
Previous food gardens
Planting vegetables in tyre stacks
Medical Students plant a Vegetable Garden for the Elderly
Report by Jane Duncan, third-year MEX354-student
Planting a vegetable garden that is sustainable is no easy task, as almost anyone will tell you. But for a group of 8 medical students, this did not deter them from planting a vegetable garden for a group of elderly persons in Phase 3, just outside Bloemfontein.
As part of a service learning module in their third-year curriculum, these students were assigned to the Thlokomelong Elderly Care Centre, a non-government organisation, to learn from and improve on the needs currently experienced at the centre. Apart from providing entertainment and social contact to 27 elderly members three times a week, the Centre also provides free breakfast, tea and lunch for each member. Therefore, sustainable food sources were a top priority for Mrs Sebotha, a leader at the centre.
"The Centre had all the markers for a successful sustainable garden: ample gardening tools, fertile soil, and determination from the leaders of the Centre. All they needed was seeds, a bit of hard work, and better fencing around their garden site", says Marlene Uys, a group member.
On a recent visit to the centre, the garden was fertilised and new seeds were planted. The students worked hard to get the garden up and running and also improved the fencing around the garden.
"It will still be some time before the seeds start to germinate, but the Centre will have on less thing to worry about very soon", says Simpiwe Siko, 'n group member.
To ensure sustainability, the students worked hand in hand with the members of the Centre so that they could all be involved in the maintenance of the garden. Also, the Centre received plenty of seeds so that they always had something to plant when the seasons changed.
"We can't wait for the first pot of vegetable soup!", Ms Lerato Sotho, a member of the Centre, says jovially.
Mrs Dora du Plessis, co-author of Growing Vegetables: A comprehensive guide on how to establish, maintain and manage a vegetable garden donated a copy of this manual to help the Centre decide on the best vegetables to plant in each season, and other important things concerning keeping a vegetable garden.
Another student explained his experience as follows:
"What an experience. After 36 hours, 9 visits, and countless group meetings, eight medical students have reached the end of their MEX354 Community Service module with 27 new friends."
Through raffles, waitering, hosting themed parties and just plain begging, the students were able to provide the centre with a refrigerator, new flooring, a sewing machine, a re-vamped vegetable garden and age-appropriate board games to improve hand-eye coordination and cognitive thinking. They also received two gazebos for much needed shelter from the sun, and toothpaste and toothbrushes in conjunction with a dental presentation by a local dentist as an endeavour to improve the dental health of the elderly.
By teaming up with physiotherapy students, Tlhokomelong's members also received some assistance on how to remain healthy and active through suitable exercises that were aimed at strengthening muscles and joints that contribute to many of the elderly's health problems, like arthritis and osteoporosis.
"My heart cannot say thank you enough", says Elisa Motaung, a leader of the centre. "Tlhokomelong means 'to care'. You have inded cared for us."