whythawk ratings: measuring effective development

Rating Report for Demonstration Health HIV / AIDS Orphanage A

Profile

Contact Details

Name: Some Name
Telephone: Some Number

Service Offering

Cluster homes child-care facilities; children ages 0 - 12

Geographic Coverage

Kwazulu / Natal, Durban

Accreditation / Membership

none

Organisation Capacity

Able to care for 36 children, currently at full capacity

Volunteers

Utilises the services of 10 volunteers, will be requiring new volunteers in August 2007

Funding Requirements

Currently supported by the community, as well as local government but does require an ongoing commitment of R 250 000 additionally every year

Organisation Summary

Demonstration is a children's cluster home set up in 2003. A Durban-based business forum raised funds to build a cluster of small homes each with their own house mother and a centralised medical-care facility. The house-mothers are responsible for the daily care of the children as well as for ensuring their education and well-being. A nurse visits daily and doctors from private practice in the Durban area volunteer to be on call when needed. The local community is integrated into the care program and children are regularly taken on outings and receive social stimulation.

Positive Rating Factors:

• High degree of support from sponsors, volunteers and the community
• Well supported financially, and sustainable
• Children are well cared for and their education and well-being is a focus

Negative Rating Factors:

• The cluster is expensive to run and the remoteness of financial scrutiny is leading to inefficiences
  

Aspects

Inception, Participation & Infrastructure

Demonstration is the creation of Joseph Curtis of Mdabeni Textiles who, along with other textiles business owners in the Durban area, decided to dedicate 5% of their revenue to supporting an HIV / AIDS child-care facility. Together with Grace Mphofu, a charismatic social worker, they developed the concept of the Demonstration cluster support centre. With support from the Durban Metro, land was allocated near a clinic in Margate and a set of houses and a central medical facility built. House-mothers were recruited from the local community and social workers from across Kwazulu / Natal were taken to visit the centre. Relatives are carefully selected and undergo a thorough introduction and familiarisation program prior to the child being accepted by the centre. Relatives are expected to contribute a small amount - usually about R 20 to R 50 per month as a contribution. Relatives take the children home for vacations and are involved in the routines at the centre.

Funding Requirements

The bulk of the costs at Demonstration are met by the regular donations from Mdabeni Textiles and their affiliates, however the costs of antiretroviral treatment as well as ongoing educational costs are expensive and becoming a burden to the current sponsors. They are seeking additional support of R 250 000 per year, but are willing to continue funding Demonstration until such time as these funds are raised.

Development Community Character

Demonstration is a thorough example of the nature of an integrated approach to community support. The entire character of the organisation is of benefit to the community and well received by all.

Rating Factors

Ownership, Governance, and Management

Demonstration is a charitable trust governed by a board made up of donors and community leaders. The director of operations is Grace Mphofu. She is due to retire in 2009 and Demonstration's board has already selected Gwyneth Zwane to train under her until then. Management is efficient, although the remoteness of financial scrutiny has lead to some costs being higher than expected. The significant support that Demonstration enjoys from business, the community and local government ensures that operations are kept at the highest standard.

Operational Effectiveness

The level of care enjoyed by the children is exceptional and exceeds most other organisations operating in this sector. Children are gregarious and healthy. Demonstration's scores across the living environment that they provide, as well as the healthcare available and development of the children's socialisation and education is outstanding.

Capacity & Strategic Planning

Demonstration is being used as a model by other organisations as to how to set up an effective child-care cluster. The intention is to develop Demonstration as a franchise model that can be made available to others so as to set up their own operations.

Ongoing Disclosure

This is an initial rating and ongoing disclosure will be commented on in future reviews.

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