Clemens Cares For Kids

Clemens Cares for Kids is a new and exciting project providing short term respite care for children suffering from HIV/AIDS, TB and other chronic disease.  Forming the children’s wing of the well established Respite Care Centre, this project targets those children most in need of respite care and a safe, secure place to stay as they make the first steps towards a healthier future.

Based in the newly renovated Clemens House and neighbouring Clemens Kitchen (being the original buildings of the Baphumelele project in Dabula Street), the Centre has 12 patient beds made up of junior beds and cots for infants. A nurse’s station and small office area enables the head nurse to monitor the children’s progress. Upstairs a family and small play area means that visiting parents can spend time with their children or to stay overnight if needs be.

Next door in the Clemens Kitchen building, a larger clinic has been built, providing a treatment room for the young patients including the children currently being treated at the Children’s Home. In the main area, a dining zone as well as activity and play area will be created to allow the children to live as normal as life as possible while they battle their illness. Educational, psychological and emotional needs will be addressed in this space either through group activities or one-on-one basis by an occupational therapist and social worker.

Having opened its doors in May 2012, Clemens Cares for Kids is currently looking after 6 young children with the help of trained staff from the Respite Care Centre.  The aim is build up the service to full capacity after 12 months, working together with the new Khayelitsha district hospital and other hospice and respite care facilities across Cape Town.

For more information about this new and exciting project, please contact the Baphumelele office.