|  Project Gateway's newest venture is Ethembeni, meaning, 'Place of Hope'. Its aim is to provide care and support to vulnerable adults and children with health related needs, in order to strengthen their resilience and contribute towards their holistic development.
Still in an embryonic stage, Ethembeni is planning a programme of health related goals for the next 3 years.
National context
World Health Statistics show the following for South Africa:
Total population 48,282,000
Gross national income per capita (PPP international $) 8,900
Life expectancy at birth m/f (years) 50/53
Healthy life expectancy at birth m/f (years, 2003) 43/45
Probability of dying under five (per 1 000 live births) 69
Probability of dying between 15 & 60 years m/f (per 1 000) 598/531
Local context
Ethembeni services the communities surrounding the city of Pietermaritzburg in the Msunduzi sub-district. Statistics received from the Department of Health show the following baseline information for this area:
Total Population: 553223
% of people not completing primary school: 17
Employment % of persons between 15 & 64: 33
% of individuals with income below R800 per month: 82
Dependency ratio: 4.6
Electrification: 86
% of households without access to portable water: 1
% of households with safe sanitation facilities: 66
% of households in formal housing: 69
Goals and activities
Within the context described above and with the aim of providing care and support to vulnerable adults and children with health related needs, the following project goals and objectives have been included within Ethembeni's project plan for 2009-2011:
1. Improved quality of, and access to basic health services for vulnerable adults and children, including;
- An oral health clinic
- An eye care clinic
- Primary health services, and
- A voluntary counselling and testing centre
These services will be complemented by a number of training and capacity building activities. At present, the two main health related training programmes facilitiated by the project are TB Awareness and Home Based Care. Ethembeni is currently contracted by the Natal Anti-Tuberculosis Association (NATBA) to provide TB awareness and treatment compliancy, follow-up and support. As part of this programme, HIV/AIDS awareness is also provided. In addition, the project is responsible for developing curriculum for health related training as requested, both internally and externally.
2. Enhanced capacity of the local church to deliver basic health related services to vulnerable adults and children
3. Increased networking and/or partnership with government for improved basic health care service delivery.
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