South Africa: Looking Back
A testimonial from a partner NGO

SalusWorld volunteer Courtney Higgins, Psy.D. completed a consultancy with a local South African NGO called Wola Nani (Xhosa for we embrace and develop one another) in September of 2008. Wola Nani was founded in 1994 to help the local HIV/AIDS population, especially communities that have been most negatively affected by the AIDS crisis (e.g. within the townships) cope with the psychological and financial challenges brought about by the illness. Their mission is to enable and empower the women and children living with HIV/AIDS, who have generally come from marginalized and disenfranchised circumstances, through counseling, training, income generation opportunities, case management and the provision of coping skills to help them manage their lives more effectively. Wola Nani’s goal is to help their clients gain a greater sense of hope and experience an overall improvement in quality of life.

Dear SalusWorld:

I wish to take this opportunity to express my sincerest and heartfelt appreciation for the work of Courtney here at Wola Nani. She was not only very professional, but also very warm and empathetic towards staff and clients. It is not easy to put down on paper just how we have clicked (in my capacity as director as well as on a personal level). Courtney has already given some very important, timely and much needed input into this organization. Since her departure we have suffered withdrawal symptoms and miss her very much.

Seriously, I have asked her to find funding in the US for a more extensive period at Wola Nani as resident psychologist and OVC programme developer. That of course is up to Courtney and I don’t really expect her to give up her life for us but only hope we can continue to work together with her and SalusWorld in some capacity.

I would like to comment on your programme as a whole and say that we find it so worthwhile and should you have further volunteers, I and many organizations here would definitely derive benefit from your programme.

With much appreciation,
The Executive Director of WOLA NANI — A caring response to HIV and AIDS
WolaNani.co.za