In early 2020, Altruic Advisors announced a partnership with Kudvumisa Foundation, a nonprofit organization providing access to health care for impoverished and marginalized communities in Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland). Our partnership included a long-term commitment to donating a monthly percentage of the firm’s profits to support their mission.
In addition to our financial commitment, our team planned to travel to Eswatini for an in-depth experience volunteering with Kudvumisa Foundation and the individuals they serve. As well as addressing immediate health care needs, Kudvumisa Foundation also combats poverty by providing skills training and market access to increase economic opportunities. As accountants, we hoped to share our knowledge of business operations and bookkeeping skills with the micro-entrepreneurs and small business owners supported by Kudvumisa Foundation. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic quickly brought our travel plans to a halt.
After almost two years of careful discussion and the gradual easing of pandemic restrictions, a small group of Altruic staff members were welcomed to the Kudvumisa Clinic in Maphiveni and put to work serving the local community.
The Altruic team volunteered in the following ways:
Clinic Assistance
The Kudvumisa Clinic serves more than 25 different communities in the area, providing medication for infections, allergies, upper respiratory tract infections, asthma, hypertension, diabetes, and sexually transmitted diseases. Clinic services are paired with Kudvumisa’s community health outreach services, including HIV testing, tuberculosis and cervical cancers screenings, and other medical services. At the Kudvumisa Clinic, our team’s work included stocking the nurses’ station, assisting in filling prescriptions, and greeting patients. Evidence of our financial contribution was also present in the recently installed ventilation system to reduce the concentration of airborne pathogens like tuberculosis and COVID-19 in the clinic’s consultation and screening rooms.
Guest House Construction
In partnership with several volunteer service groups, Kudvumisa Foundation is nearing completion of an on-site guest house facility intended to provide accommodation to visiting teams, tourists and local visitors. When complete, this guest house will generate funds to help support Kudvumisa’s programs, as well as creating new employment opportunities for Maphiveni residents. Altruic’s contribution to this project included construction of a trench and concrete footer for the laundry room, and installation of curtain and blinds for all windows of the guest house.
Community Health Intervention Programme (CHIPS)
CHIPS began as an intervention program in the Maphiveni and Vuvulane communities for impoverished and isolated HIV-affected children and their caregivers, who often lived more than 50 kilometers away from the nearest hospital. Today, the CHIPS program provides mobile medical care and outreach to many isolated communities in northeastern Eswatini. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the CHIPS program has been integral in reducing community transmission by allowing individuals to receive medical care in their homes, rather than traveling on public transportation and congregating at health facilities. During the Altruic team’s time in Eswatini, our staff assisted in delivering medications and personal hygiene products, as well as participating in home visits in remote areas.
