An Announcement

ThembaCare Athlone Announcement

We started ThembaCare Athlone because there was a great need for a step down facility that provided palliative and ongoing support to children suffering with HIV/AIDS and other terminal diseases. This project has run successfully for the past twelve years and has had an incredible impact on the community and the plight of hundreds of sick children.

However, earlier this year, the provincial Department of Health (DOH) - ThembaCare Athlone’s major funder, made strategic changes to their policies resulting in a decision to consolidate their funding and services. They have decided to channel their resources and energy on larger facilities such as Sarah Fox.

These changes are significant and have led us to conclude that the need we originally set up to fulfill at ThembaCare Athlone is now being met elsewhere and that therefore our project has run its course.

At Thembalitsha we always want to ensure that we are being good stewards of our resources and that the services we providing are making an impact by fulfilling a need. We don't want to duplicate unecessarily. So, as a result, we have taken the decision to terminate the services we offer at ThembaCare and the facility is now closed.

The closure of ThembaCare Athlone in no way affects our dedication to restoring hope and transforming lives here in South Africa, a mission which we will continue to realise through our six other successful projects in the Western Cape.

We want to thank everyone – staff, volunteers and funders - who have supported, served and encouraged ThembaCare Athlone over the years and we trust you will continue to walk with us in our mission going forward.