Giving back to the community is what the Durban University of Technology’s Department of Homeopathy strives to achieve. Students from the Department of Homeopathy celebrated 10 years of providing free primary health care services at the Ukuba Nesibindi Homeopathic community clinic (UNHCC0) at a special birthday function which was held at the Warwick Junction Hall on 12 August 2014.

Ukuba Nesibindi Homeopathic community clinic is a free clinic facility in Warwick Junction that was established in 2004 by the Department of Child and Youth Care and Lifeline Durban. The aim of the clinic is to serve the community of Warwick Junction. Approximately 500 000 people from the greater Durban pass through on a daily basis by taxi, train and bus and can have access to HIV counselling and testing as well as homoeopathy, at the clinic. DUT Homeopathy students volunteer their time to helping patients since the clinic had opened its doors 10 years ago. They tend to patients from all walks of like such as whoonga addicts, sex workers, the aged and the youth.

Dr Jabulile Ngubane, who is the head clinician of Ukuba Nesibindi said, “The department’s vision is to work within communities throughout Southern Africa. We strive to embrace emotional wellness, mobilise social change and build a collective community heart with caring and courageous responses to the unique challenges.”

Euvette Taylor, a Homeopathic medicine student at DUT, said Ukuba Nesibindi clinic had changed peoples’ lives, especially the disadvantaged members of the community over the past 10 years. “The clinic has an EduCare facility for the children of the Warwick Junction and provides an early childhood development programme for the 25 children between the ages of two to six years old.

“Many of the parents of the children are street vendors and it was felt that a safe place was needed to meet the development of mental needs of the young children where they could be cared for and stimulated while their parents were at work,” said Dr Ngubane.

Oziel Mdletshe, who is a beneficiary of the clinic and living with HIV/AIDS, said, “I remember 10 years ago before I joined DUT when one my friends, who had been to Ukuba Nesibindi Homoeopathic clinic, told me she was living with HIV/AIDS, and the clinic had saved her life through homeopathy. She advised me to go and get help as well. From 2004, I never took the opportunity to go to the clinic and take the medication, until last year, after I had visited many doctors and tried other options, without any improvement. I came back to Ukuba Nesibindi for homoeopathic treatment and now I can tell you that I do not feel the pain that I felt when I first visited the clinic in 2013.”

Dr Corne Hall, who is the head of the Department of Homeopathy, said Ukuba Nesibindi provided homeopathy students with work integrated learning so that they could acquire practical experience.

Ukuba Nesibindi has been a success because of partnerships with the community, SAPS Crime Prevention Unit, Lifeline, DUT VCT-AIDS Centre and its engagement with non-profit organisations. The department of homeopathy is also involved with other community outreach projects such as the Kenneth Gardens Homoeopathic Community clinic and the newly opened state of the art DUT Health Sciences clinic at Ritson Campus.

– Talent Buthelezi and Gift Nyamapfene

Pictured: DUT Homeopathic medicine students, members of the SAPS Crime Prevention Unit, DUT Public Relations Management students, at the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Ukuba Nesibindi Homeopathic Community clinic.