Hlokomela was established in 2005 in response to research that highlighted a critical need for health care among farm workers and other vulnerable populations in the greater Hoedspruit area. Since then, Hlokomela has been a prominent and respected role player in the health and well-being of the local community, serving about 60 000 people annually (direct and indirect beneficiaries).
In 2020, faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, Hlokomela capitalised on its identity which has been built up over 15 years of caring. Hlokomela showed its mettle by stepping up and leading the COVID-19 response in Hoedspruit, Limpopo as well as in other areas of the Mopani District where the organisation implements programmes. We were strengthened even more as the organisation and its staff were challenged in an extra-ordinary time to do extra-ordinary things to maintain the high level of service Hlokomela is known for. All this was achieved at the same time staff and researchers worked hard at piloting a partial payment system that would hopefully secure the financial viability of the organisation once implemented in full.
Create a culture of caring that empowers all
To provide quality, all-inclusive health care to everyone in the Kruger2Canyons Biosphere Region
Hlokomela’s services and projects are focussed into three main areas of priority; Healthcare, Income Development Projects & Administration.
Our health and social care programmes offer biomedical, social and structural interventions to reduce HIV, TB and STIs. Our services cover the continuum of care ranging from combination prevention to treatment and retention as well as sexual and reproductive health. Social programmes include psychosocial support and programmes to reduce gender based violence and human rights violations.
We do most of our work in the greater Hoedspruit and Phalaborwa areas, a major centre of the Maruleng Municipality, which is situated in the Mopani District of the Limpopo Province.We also work in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga where the focus is on sex worker education and health awareness.Tourism, government services, farming and forestry are key to the economic activities in these areas. The farming sector supports a significant section of the local population of seasonal and migrant workers.
Farms in the Mopani District not only employ permanent workers, but also a large number of seasonal workers during picking seasons. Many of these seasonal workers are migrants from other areas of South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and elsewhere in Southern Africa. Hlokomela currently provides services to workers and their families on 71 sub project sites in the Hoedspruit community, as well as to a number of employees on private nature reserves adjacent to the Kruger National Park. An estimated 25 000 farm workers and their families benefit directly from Hlokomela services. Each month, Hlokomela helps approximately 1 700 clients access HIV Testing Services (HTS), and helps 2 000 people living with HIV receive antiretroviral therapy (ART) at three Wellness Clinic sites and 7 mobile sites (Hlokomela, Bavaria, Richmond, Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, Ngala, Thornybush Waterside, South African Wildlife College, Singita Lebombo, Phelwana and Timbavati Foundation). Hlokomela’s public awareness campaigns provide information about HIV and AIDS to the entire community.
