Success stories

Success stories

Gogo Martha

Gogo Martha is 70 year old. She stays at Qalabotjha. She looks after four orphans whose mother passed away in 2005 and left the children in her care.

The last child was 3 months old when the mother died. Life was difficult after their mother’s death.

“I couldn’t take proper care of the kids and the children’s needs were not properly met. I couldn’t buy food, pay for their school fees and buy school clothes with my pension money. I prayed every day to God to give me an answer and one day I heard a knock at the door and there were two ladies at the door. They introduced themselves and explained that they are the Home Based Care Workers from the Topsy Foundation. They explained how the Topsy Foundation works and I explained to them that I have four orphans whose mother is deceased and whose father is unknown to me. They sent their Social Worker to come and assess the home circumstances. The following month, I received food parcels, Topsy paid for the children’s school uniforms and I received vegetable seeds and training from Topsy to make a vegetable garden. I don’t have to buy vegetables anymore. I have applied for a Government Foster Care Grant at the Social Services. The grant is not yet paid out but I receive food parcels from Topsy Foundation.

My children are no longer starving, they are happy and do not look like orphans and I can also enjoy my pension money. All this satisfaction andharmony is because of Topsy Foundation. I feel my prayers are answered.”

Moses from Siyathemba

Moses used to live in Johannesburg. He was hospitalised three times without any improvement. While he was still in hospital, his sister came to visit him and was told that he has passed away, only to find out that it was the negligence of the nurse who was too lazy to check the files.

The family decided to bring him back to Siyathemba and took him to Dr Lindeque, which is where they found out about Topsy and its services. During that time he was unable to walk or stand on his own. He was bedridden and he was always praying to God to take his life soon, because he was the breadwinner at home. He also saw how they struggled to bury his two sisters who died from AIDS.

“The Topsy staff were so kind in picking me up from the house with their transport and they also introduced us to the vegetable garden which we now survive from. What I can say about Topsy is that it is my guiding angel sent by God. They must never stop helping the poor and the sick people. God will continue to bless them.”

Martha – Topsy, I salute you!

“I’m Martha from Qalabotjha and I’m 37 years old. I stayed in Johannesburg when I became sick. Not knowing what was going on with me, I ended up in hospital. They didn’t tell me what was wrong, they just continued to give me medication.

My mother called and said I must return home. When I arrived home I was very sick, I couldn’t walk or eat and I was coughing a lot. My mother told me about Topsy and I told her that I didn’t have money any more because I used too much money for doctors already but I was still sick. Then my mother told me that at Topsy I won’t pay anything and they will come and pick me up. I asked my mother how she knows about Topsy and she said she heard people praising and saying positive things about Topsy.

She called one of the Topsy fieldworkers and she sent the sister to visit me. The nurse came and asked how she can help me. I told her I was sick and I explained the entire situation to her. She was very patient with me. After talking to her, she asked me whether I want to test for HIV. I replied with a big yes because it was high time I knew what was wrong with me. She tested me and my results were positive.

After that she continued supporting me. I was not worried about my results because she prepared me first. so it was easy for me to accept it. She told me that they would come and pick me up so that I could go to the Topsy Clinic. When I arrived at Topsy I was so surprised, because these days people are not so patient and supportive for sick people – but at Topsy I found it was different.

They sent me to the social worker, who made me realise that there is life after HIV/AIDS. I started at Topsy in June 2008, my CD4 count was 12. I went back again to the social worker for readiness counseling for ARV and started them in July 2008. Ever since I started ARV I feel better, I started walking on my own and my appetite came back. I gained weight and I hope I will get even better than this because I have seen people at Topsy and you cannot believe that they are HIV-positive, as they are strong and healthy and live their life to the full. I have a strong belief that one day, I will be better than I am now. Thanks to Topsy and the God Lord for giving me another chance in life… Topsy I salute you!”