Gratitude for family planning services
Fri, 15 April 2011
““We are so grateful to now have immediate access to family planning as we live far from town. It makes our lives much easier”. Lalie, aged 36
Six months later: Hantam Community Trust: Family planning and pregnancy testing
Funding for this project enabled the Hantam Community Education Trust’s health workers to run a family planning programme for women in rural Northern Cape communities over a 12-month period. This report revisits the programme six months later to see what lasting changes resulted from this project.
The project ran from May 2009-July 2010.
Continuing services
- The clinic continues to function well and is open two mornings a week.
- Women who previously had to travel long distances for family planning, now have easier access to family planning.
- Currently, an average of 54 patients is seen weekly.
- During the period August 2010 and January 2011, 51 women received family planning injections
- During the same period,73 women received pregnancy tests. None of the women was pregnant and the majority of them requested birth control.
The value of education
- The implementation of a family planning programme has assisted in educating local women and girls about the importance of family planning. In response to this, the women and girls are taking charge of their health and have accepted greater responsibility for their decisions.
- This increased responsibility is evident in that women continue to visit the clinic for pregnancy testing and to access birth control.
- Their greatest challenge remains educating young girls about family planning, responsible sex and the consequences of pregnancy. Hantam Community Education Trust is determined to ensure that the girls are aware of the importance of caring for themselves and making responsible decisions.
The family planning programme remains operational and the women and girls in the wider community continue to attend the clinic and benefit from the family planning services offered to them.
