Sybase South Africa has sponsored Sparrow Village, a non-profit organisation that provides refuge for destitute, terminally ill adults and children with AIDS, to the tune of R15 000 upfront with ongoing, monthly donations.
Sparrow Village, created by Reverend Corine McClintock, has relied entirely on donations for the past eight years. It is carrying out a three-stage plan to develop 6.4 hectares of land in Maraisburg, donated by the Western Metropolitan Local Council.
"The village aims to create a hospice for the dying, a training centre for the living and a base from which to educate the public about HIV and AIDS," says Reverend McClintock. "The village design includes a list of programmes to give the patients jobs according to their strengths and abilities, creating an income for the village while giving patients value and purpose to their 'lost' lives."
Sparrow Village is the realisation of a decade of planning and work to produce a home and hospice atmosphere for destitute adults and children suffering the final stages of HIV/AIDS; it is the first planned community in the world that allows terminally ill mothers and children to stay together until death.
The village promotes classes, training and seminars to ensure that businesses, schools and the local community have the opportunity to learn the facts about HIV/AIDS and how to prevent the spread of the disease.
"Of great importance is the pride and self-esteem developed as these people create a place of dignity and care for the homeless and dying. After developing their skills, they leave the village to become entrepreneurs, adding responsible businesses and families to the economy of the local communities," says Reverend McClintock.
Sybase also arranged a team of volunteers from its offices to paint the houses at Sparrow Village to make it a more marketable facility.
"Besides the cash donations, we arranged for two artists to sketch designs on eight houses on the property, which we then painted in a lively, Ndebele scheme," says Tahzier Isaacs, marketing manager at Sybase South Africa. "Our primary objective is to focus on a social responsibility campaign for Rainbow Village. The social dynamics of society provide ordinary citizens with the understanding that AIDS has affected many thousands of destitute children in need of urgent assistance. Sybase is embarking on many small projects to contribute to the betterment and upliftment of the Sparrow patients."
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