Report from Christmas 1999

Growing needs and growing tasks make growing premises necessary ...

The people of Mandini, Sundumbili and the surrounding area are increasingly grasping the fact that the help offered to them by the Brotherhood of Blessed Gérard is something they are not used to. Day by day we have new cases with many different problems - from real hospice cases, people in need of rehabilitation who are referred to us by hospitals and clinics, among others, to malnutrition, abandoned children and other social problems.

Due to the increasing use of all our facilities and capacities, we decided to expand the ward area and functional wing of our building. This means the construction of a new special care room, a new pantry, a new morgue and the enlargement of the laundry, the scullery and the faeces room. This extension will have an upper floor, the larger section of which will house our development centre (the sewing school) and the smaller section of which will become a much needed storage room.

We appeal to our members to try and find donors to help fund this extension.

The Board has already awarded the building contract and construction will begin in mid-January 2000. The construction time is estimated at two and a half months, i.e. we expect the construction work to be completed by the end of March 2000.

Surely it is not necessary to mention specifically that we need your help.

We are often asked what we actually need.

Here are some examples of how you can help us:

Equipment needed for Blessed Gérard's Care Centre & Hospice

  Costs in

Rand

US Dollar

D-Mark

1 Large washing machine

25,365.00

4,227.50

8.455,-- 

2 Large tumble dryer

17,556.00

2,926.00

5.852,-- 

3 Cooling for the new pantry

7,500.00

1,250.00

2.500,-- 

4 Steam extraction above the kitchen cookers

3,000.00

500.00

1.000,-- 

5 Printer

3,334.50

555.75

1.111,-- 

6 Tables for the dining room (the current tables will go to the sewing school)

11,628.00
per 969.00

1,938.00
per 161.50

3.876,--
per 323,-- 

7  Large dishwasher

13,908.00

2,318.00

4.636,-- 

8     Emergency trolley

2,274.00

379.05

758,-- 

9 Medicine trolley    

951.00

158.65

317,-- 

10 First-aid trolley

1,137.43

189.57

379,-- 

11 Special bin for medical waste    

796.86

132.81

265,--

12 Wheelchairs

per 1,500.00

per 250.00

per 500,-- 

13 Vital function monitor (ECG, RR, oxymeter)

53,680.00

8,946.00

17.893,--

How else you can help the Brotherhood of Blessed Gérard financially

  Cover the costs for ...

Rand

US-Dollar

D-Mark

14 The salary of a nurse in the nursing and hospice centre, per month

6,000.00

1,000.00

2.000,--

15 the medical needs for the nursing and hospice centre, per month

2,000.00

333.00

666,--

16 Inpatient care for a sick person in the nursing and hospice centre, per day

120.00

20.00

40,--

17 the university studies of a needy but talented student, per year

20,000.00

3,333.00

6.666,--

18 the nutrition of a malnourished child, per month

50.00

8.33

17,--

19 the fabrics for our sewing school, per month

800.00

133.00

266,--

20 our medical tent    

20,000.00

3,333.00

6.666,--

21 a camp bed

270.00

45.00

90,--

22 the construction of the special care room in the nursing and hospice centre

75,000.00

12,500.00

25.000,--
23 the construction of the development aid centre / sewing school

125,000.00 

20,500.00

42.000,--

24 the construction of the new pantry and mortuary and the enlargement of the laundry, scullery and faeces room for the nursing and hospice centre 150,000.00

25,000.00

50.000,--

N.B. The above figures are based on the current exchange rate.
Therefore, they are not exact and are subject to possible changes.

Excerpt from our Newsletter No. 18


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