Background

The Sarah Fox Children’s Convalescent Hospital is a 60-bed facility based in Silvertown, Cape Town. It serves as the only convalescent hospital available to children in the Western Cape.

The hospital aims to provide professional care necessary to allow full recovery once the critical stage of the illness has been treated. The main conditions treated at the hospital include burns, HIV/Aids, tuberculosis, kwashiorkor, marasmus, motor vehicle accidents, effects of malnutrition, surgery, trauma, gastro-enteritis and non-accidental illnesses.

More recently, children have been referred to Sarah Fox Hospital not only for medical reasons, but simply because they have no other place to go. The number of abandoned children and children coming from socially unfit backgrounds are on the increase.

GOTG Involvement

We first got involved with Sarah Fox Hospital in July 2008 when Gawa Sayed, our Cape Town office manager, identified Sarah Fox Hospital as a worthy recipient of our new blankets during our Winter Warmth project. The first visit culminated in the development of a partnership with the hospital. We were so overwhelmed by the dedication and commitment of Prof Jan Wiggelinkhuizen, Brenda and the rest of the team, and the love and care that permeated the entire facility, manifested in the smiling faces of the vulnerable children that we had no choice but to extend our assistance. In that initial period we donated groceries, baby products and Sibusiso Ready Food Supplements.

ln 2009 we started paying the food and meat bill every month, we regularly provide the hospital with baby formula, Sibusiso and cleaning detergents. We decided on a much deeper involvement in keeping with our commitment as a partner to Sarah Fox Hospital and approved a budget to intervene in infrastructure renovation. As a result we have recently upgraded the home to provide a better psychological atmosphere for the children.

As at 3rd November 2009, we have completed the following:

• Replaced the foam mattresses for the cots
• Painted the cots
• Provided bed sheets, duvets inners and duvet covers for all the cots
• Installed blinds on all the windows
• Painted the inside areas of the building
• Fixed all the broken windows
• Provided towels
• Sanding and varnishing of floors
• Installing 2 carpets
• Erected sign boards for the hospital