Thembalami Care Centre

Since 1903 our story has evolved with the community and our services have grown and changed with the times.

Thembalami Care Centre Located near Alexandra in Gauteng, accommodates  ambulant male pensioners with limited means in sheltered accommodation – primarily persons receiving a social or disability grant from the Government.

Thembalami is also home to frail pensioners of limited means. Residents are encouraged to bring their own belongings such as their favourite armchair or photos to create a “home from home atmosphere”. Comfortable lounges with MNet television reception are available. The fully inclusive monthly fee is determined on interview.

All fees include full board and lodging, 24 hour nursing care, physiotherapy , doctor on call and laundry service as well as transport to nearby shops, library, swimming pool, billiards and snooker room, podiatrist, hairdresser, village shop, interdenominational chapel and security. A craft and recreation centre operates on a daily basis and offers stimulating activities, outings and entertainment for residents.

Many older persons face an uncertain future due to financial constraints and in a country faced with many other urgent issues to attend to this target group is often overlooked with few facilities of this nature available at affordable prices.

The Thembalami Project:

Thembalami Care Centre was relocated to the East Bank border of Alexandra in Lombardy East to be able to get involved in outreach projects into the community. Last year we formed a partnership with the Methodist church Lombardy East, SAPS Sandringham, Counselor of that district, Friends for Life and the Vaal University of Technology. 

Friends for Life identified approximately 200 grannies in Alex looking after approximately 450 aids orphans on their pension money. The idea is not to feed them the whole time but to empower them to feed and look after themselves. The university has feeding schemes which we felt would benefit the community and tie in with our project very well.  The university does blood analysis tests with the identified grannies to establish the main nutritional deficiencies.  Then they start training trainers to plant a vegetable garden (parma culture) to supplement the nutritional needs of the grannies. At the same time they teach the grannies to make “vetkoek” with the necessary vegetables, to provide a balanced meal.  The idea behind the programme, is that the grannies will go into the community and teach other people to plant their own vegetables and become self sufficient.

At this point in time we have trained volunteers to do this parma culture gardens and on the 17 July 2007 the first group of grannies (20) started their training.  Furthermore we also teach them how to preserve vegetables, dry them and can them to ensure they always have food in their houses.

Some grannies looking after babies and toddlers are undergoing stimulation programme's to teach them different ways to stimulating children.

In future we will run another programme “Wisdom Power” that will empower the grannies on financial, physical and mental abuse, crime prevention, funeral policies etc.