Scores of people seeking medical assistance and legal advice filled a community hall in Zozo village on Saturday when optometrists, general practitioners, nurses and legal advisers offered up their time to serve the village.
The community members, who were also bussed in from five neighbouring villages in Kwelera, were elated at being afforded the opportunity to have their eyes tested and qualms assessed.
The initiative – Medico-legal camp for the needy – aims to bring much-needed help to rural areas so that community members need not travel to clinics which most are unable to afford.
It was started as a personal initiative by senior prosecutor Althea Rhodes in 2015, who goes out once a month throughout the year with a small team of people to various villages throughout the Border region. Rhodes calls upon a network of people who have had some involvement at court to assist with the day’s initiative.
One community member, Nowase Madolo, 70, of Tyuba Village, said she was relieved that the initiative was made available to them. “It makes me happy that all the doctors and nurses are here to help us. There are times when I can’t travel to clinic because I am old and I can’t afford it.
“This shows me that there are people who still care about us, which makes my heart very happy,” said Madolo, who uses a walking stick due to bad knees and suffers occasional pain in her right arm due to burns sustained in 2015.
Andiswa Bozo, 27, of Zozo Village, brought her nine-year-old daughter to have her eyes tested. “I am hopeful that they will be able to help my daughter because it has been two years now that she has been complaining about it,” she said.
Volunteer optometrist, Dudu Zikiza, 40, of Port Elizabeth, who was on holiday and had been asked by her friend to assist, said: “We assist these people who otherwise might not receive the help because of financial reasons. We only conduct eye tests and then refer them if they require further help. I love what I do, and working with the community in this manner, making a difference, is what excites me.”
The optometrists brought along their own apparatus and equipment to conduct the eye tests.
Members from the National Prosecuting Authority served soup and bread to those awaiting their turn.
Dr Sunshine Neka-Mbewana, who would have been celebrating her 10th wedding anniversary on Saturday had her husband not been murdered in 2014, met Rhodes while attending her husband’s murder trial.
“I was upset that the justice system let me down because my husband’s killers were never found but this is my way of finding inner peace by giving back to others. I love what I am doing, even if it is just counselling to give someone strength. I think it is an amazing thing to help the community out in this manner,” Neka-Mbewana said.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Tsepo Ndwalaza said the initiative showed that prosecutors were willing to go beyond the call of duty. “We encourage this type of thing and, as the NPA, we applaud Althea and her team…It is a very good thing that they are not just serving the communities in court but are getting involved to assist them further,” Ndwalaza said.