The Farewell ceremony was organised by Kwakhanya Home-based Care on Saturday.

Kwakhanya was formed by Sweetness Mzolisa in 2000 after she realised that people were dying of HIV/Aids. Mzolisa initiated a soup kitchen and food garden. The community members started coming up and disclosed their HIV/Aids status. Kwakhanya also have support groups where they hold meetings every Wednesday.

Kwakhanya deals with those who are infected with’n and affected by HIV/Aids and Vulnerable kids.

There are more than 180 people who get help through the centre.

There are 24 home-based care volunteers who do door-to-door visits and wash those who are infected and give them food.

Mzolisa, talking about those who are affected said: “Stigma, disclosure and discrimination are still a problem.”

Kwakhanya refer those who are sick to hospital.

Nombulelo Kotyi, a ward 92 Councillor infected community members said: “It shows us that we are together. We do not want to see people who are HIV positive to be isolated. They must know that they are like us. We want them to feel warm as it is in winter now.”

The partnership between Kwakhanya and the US Consulate started back in 2004.

In 2003, President Gorge W Bush announced that the U.S government will invest 1,2 billion dollars over five years to fight malaria in 15 Sub-Saharan African countries and that is why Kwakhanya is one of the multiple projects funded primarily through president’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFR) and that is when they actually got to meet Patini, the statement said.

Patini will be replaced by David Haeems.