The beneficiaries of the Nkomazi Community Trust are the more than 4500 orphaned and vulnerable children and 350 community care-workers currently registered with the Thembalethu Home Based Care (THBC) project in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

THBC was founded in 1999 to establish home-based care for AIDS sufferers and orphans living in the 22 villages near Jeppe’s Reef in the Nkomazi district of Mpumalanaga. The needs in this region are enormous and continue to grow as the AIDS pandemic progresses. More than 50% of the inhabitants are infected with HIV/AIDS, resulting in an average of 7 to 8 deahs per village per week.

Funds raised by the Trust are used selectively to support interventions that directly benefit the children. Existing programmes being undertaken by THBC include:

• Training of community based care-workers

• Food parcels, clothing & blankets

• Building of homes & shelters

• School fees, materials & uniforms

• Pre-school & after-school care

• Tertiary education bursaries

• Business & entrepreneurial skills training

• Psychological & Spiritual Counseling

• Job creation projects

• Social rehabilitation

• Sports programmes

• Life skills training

• AIDS education

Visit the Thembalethu website to find out more about their programs. Any and all support is appreciated