Welcome to the Hlanganani Ngothando Organisation site. We hope you find everything you need and enjoy reading about what we do. Hlanganani Ngothando Organisation is a Christian, Non-government, Non-Profit, Welfare organisation serving a wide variety of people groups including men, women, children, the elderly, sick, prisoners, school children, and mentally and physically disabled children, in and around KwaZulu Natal.

A Typical Day in the life of Hlanganani Ngothando Organisation

Consider the lives involved, from Paul Speirs on Vimeo.

The day starts quite early for the two drivers, Mlu and Nkosinathi. They are on the road at 07.00 collecting the disabled children and the staff members. As the children and young adults arrive they are given breakfast and by 08.45 everybody has settled and finished eating and the official day starts and every member whether they are in maintenance or therapy, including all the children, attend the devotions for 10 to 15 min. This is the time Eric Ntuli our centre manager, usually shares a little bit from the scriptures, any specific prayer requests are made and it is an opportunity to share any notices with all the staff. After that all disperse to their different stations.

When devotions are over the children begin their different therapy regimes. Each child or young adult is so different in his need and level of disability so that each program has to be tailor made. Some of the more able children or young adults will go off to the “classroom” with Nokwazi for theme teaching, some written work in the form of worksheets or fine motor games with blocks and lego and puzzles.

Back in the hall several things will be happening at the same time. One therapist will help Thabani to roll over, others will encourage Wandile and Esihle to walk, and others will get one on one passive and active exercising.

If the weather is good the clients are also taken outside to play, then story time at 12.30 and at 1 o’clock they all receive a cooked meal for lunch. By then they are pretty tired and very hungry, so this time is one of winding down and getting ready to go home for those who attend daily and a time of rest for those who are in residence. In the afternoon another session of exercising will be done with the residents and then it is supper and TV/ socializing time before Nokwazi and Nellie and Mambanjwa all retire together with the children that sleep over.

Mlu is our community worker and he goes out most days to visit people in the community who live with disabilities. Many of his clients are semi paralysed as a result of stroke and he assists them with their rehabilitation. He is also available to transport any of his clients to the clinic or local SASSA office. He will be back at the centre in time to assist with transporting the day attendees back to their families.

This is a typical day at the HNO centre in Bulwer. Of course, typical is a bit of a generalization as there seems to be so many variations of typical. Sometimes we have visitors, or a child is sick and needs to be taken to the doctor, or it is pouring with rain and nobody gets to go outside, or a vehicle has broken down, or medicines needs to be fetched, or we get a visit from the Health department, or a child that has never walked takes a first step on her own and everybody is too excited to keep any sort of orderly routine. Life is never boring at HNO.

In the meantime 100 km away in Pietermaritzburg Xolani will be involved in a programme of prison and clinic visitation taking their well accepted (by the prison authorities and inmates) programme of hope which teaches about good lifestyle choices, and forgiveness.

We are so grateful to all those out there who support us in big and small ways, with funds, or prayers, or encouraging interest (or all three).