By Dr. Sonja Miskin

For several years Anna Ntuli was burdened by the desperate need for some form of care for the aged in the KwaMhlanga community. No such care existed in the entire community and she found old people languishing in shacks with no food, medication or care. Only in 2009 did the Lord open a door of opportunity for her to begin the wonderful, yet heartbreaking – and backbreaking – work done at the Ekukhanyeni Old Age Home, a home for the elderly in Thokoza, South Africa. About this time, an empty house was put at her disposal for use without cost by a neighbor. News of the establishment’s opening spread rapidly by bush telegraph and within a week there were already 15 live-in clients. Now, a year later, there are 35 residents.

Anna Ntuli was well known in the community as a Home Based Care Worker helping those afflicted with HIV/AIDS, and so it was a small step from that branch of service to her present calling. As soon as the magnitude of this work became clear, her husband Gabriel, and two adult daughters, Nomsa and Precious, offered themselves as willing helpers alongside Anna. Another real boost was the volunteering by young ladies in the neighborhood. Several of these are Anna's ex-patients, and others are family members of those whom Anna treated at some point or another. Together they have formed a team of Care Workers that provide a 24-hour service at the home.
The scope of practice is holistic care, with an emphasis on evangelistic outreach to these elderly people. Assistance is not limited to the elderly, as there are five adult disabled residents as well. Anna is very concerned for the souls of these people under her care, as most of them come from traditional homes where African indigenous religion prevails. We have started addressing this particular need by appointing Malwande Ndonga, a theological student from Mukhanyo Theological College, as an evangelist at Ekukhanyeni. He goes there every Wednesday afternoon to do Christian devotions with the whole group and also sets time aside for individual counselling.
Medical care is a serious need that was identified from the very start, and as Sonja Miskin is able, weekly visits are made and medication provided, but on a very limited scale, due to financial constraints and the lack of examination facilities.

The buildings are far from adequate for the need, and proposals have been submitted to Word & Deed requesting funding for a building project. Initially, a safety fence needs to be put up as the property is situated on a busy thoroughfare. Also, goats and cows wander in and out of the property as they please, and at times, some of the confused residents of the home wander out of the grounds, posing a severe health hazard. There is also an urgent need for toilets as presently there are only two toilets for thirty-five residents. Initially, these will be pit toilets; waterless in-house toilets will be installed later, in conjunction with building renovations. 
The house and outbuildings not only need a major overhaul, but all manner of furnishings and fittings are also needed inside. There are some metal frame beds, but not enough for all, so they take turns sleeping on the floor. Even then, they take turns using the few mattresses available. There are not enough chairs to go around and only one table for meals. That is why in the photos the residents are mostly sitting outside on the ground.
However, this bleak word picture of the needs is sharply contrasted by the joy and happiness which abounds in this home. The residents express a great thankfulness for the quality of care they do receive. Compared to the conditions in which they were found prior to living at Ekukhanyeni, they consider themselves most blest by their present situation.

Dr. Sonja Miskin oversees the medical department of the Nakekela Care Center, an AIDS hospice in rural KwaMhlanga, South Africa.