A Hospice sister in Knysna named Rhona was and still is truly an inspiration. She is someone who helps so many people and is so humble. You will never hear from her all of the good work she does, she doesn’t want recognition, she just helps out of the goodness of her heart. I came to realize as time went by that the entire staff at Knysna Hospice was the same way, people truly dedicated to helping others.

Every week Rhona would take me with her on her rounds. Each Hospice sister has patients throughout the community that they visit each week to check on them and find out what they need. Patients also have a home-based care worker that is available to them at any time. All of her patients lived in the various townships of Knysna. A “township” area is an impoverished area that the black people of South Africa were forced to move into during the Apartheid system (for more information about Apartheid click here) . Many of her patients are living without electricity and running water and are dying of AIDS, TB or both. Hospice provides free healthcare and helps weekly with basic living necessities. They also give love and support not only to the patients, but to their families as well.

Every Tuesday they provide a “day-care” for all of their patients. They pick the patients up from all over Knysna and bring them to the Hospice B.O.N.D. house. The patients get a hot meal and a food parcel to take home with them. Each of them gets to visit with the doctor. Many of them are bedridden and have no social interaction at all, so during this time they get to visit and do various activities with other patients. It is a wonderful program, I loved being able to help serve food, take care of the babies, and visit with the patients each week. Holding a baby in my arms that is dying of AIDS definitely changed me forever. All of the death and pain that the staff at Hospice sees, they handle with pure love and grace, I learned so much from them.

Rhona also started the HIV support group for children that Restore Humanity is helping as well (click here for more info about the support group). She truly cares for these children and that is my only comfort when I think about their suffering. I know that Hospice is there looking out for all of these wonderful people that have touched the depths of my heart. Hospice is an amazing organization and I am honored to have meet them and be able to work with them. If you chose to donate to Hospice you will be helping this entire community in many different ways.

Sarah Fennel
Founder of Restore Humanity