First established in 1989 by Dawn Leppan and Alan Paton, the 1000 Hills Community Helpers initially worked to alleviate poverty and suffering from the effects of HIV and AIDS by providing meals. At that time it was based at a dilapidated church in the region of the Valley of a 1000 Hills. This charity has gone from strength to strength and relocated nearby to their own purpose-built site. They now not only provide twice-daily meals to the local community but also have:
- Computer and IT training facilities
- Preschool centre – providing for over 300 children
- Medical clinic
- Craft and sewing project
- Crèche and baby unit
- Community visits to those too ill to attend the clinic on site (home-based carers)
The medical clinic at the centre of the campus operates with the help of retired and volunteer doctors, as well as nursing sisters. There is a pharmacy run by a retired pharmacist. The clinic aims to improve the lives of babies, children and adults infected and affected by chronic illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, TB, hepatitis, diabetes, cancer, arthritis and hypertension.
TWOWEEKS has been liaising with Dawn Leppan and her team since 2007 and started assisting in the clinic and with their outreach work in 2013. There are a variety of clinics that are held on different days including a baby clinic, mother-and-baby clinic, and education clinics which allow community health promotion. In more recent times we have additionally been assisting in the computer classes, with education in the preschool and informal teaching sessions for the patients of the medical clinic.
