Mount Sinai project in need of donations

A GROUP of nurses working with HIV-positive children at the Katutura State Hospital’s Antiretroviral Clinic founded the Mount Sinai Centre in 2004 out of concern for the children.

Most of the children coming to the clinic are orphans and in many cases their guardians cannot afford to provide for their nutritional and other physical needs. Some of the HIV-positive mothers also continued breastfeeding their babies, exposing them to the virus, because they could not afford alternative feeding.Christaline Venga-Biart and a few co-workers founded the Mount Sinai Centre to provide proper meals to the children receiving ARV treatment.They also help HIV-positive parents to provide nutritious food for their babies.Mount Sinai provides physical, social and psychological support to the children, as well as counselling to their parents, caretakers and guardians.The centre currently helps about 140 children with food hampers on an ad hoc basis due to financial constraints.There are also about 100 babies who received milk formula once a month.An accurate database is kept of all the children.They are weighed and receive a thorough check-up from the volunteer nurses.The centre is currently based at Venga-Biart’s house, but as more and more children come to Mount Sinai for help, the place is getting too small.The City of Windhoek has donated a piece of land to Venga-Biart in Katutura and an architect has drafted plans for a proper centre for Mount Sinai.Donations are now sought to develop the land and build a centre where the children and women can safely meet and receive help and counselling.An international network of nursing students from all over the world has heard about the work that the nurses are doing at Mount Sinai and donations have been forthcoming from all over the world.Nursing students also volunteer their services at the centre.People who can help with donations of building materials or money can phone Venga-Biart at 081 288 8719Some of the HIV-positive mothers also continued breastfeeding their babies, exposing them to the virus, because they could not afford alternative feeding.Christaline Venga-Biart and a few co-workers founded the Mount Sinai Centre to provide proper meals to the children receiving ARV treatment.They also help HIV-positive parents to provide nutritious food for their babies.Mount Sinai provides physical, social and psychological support to the children, as well as counselling to their parents, caretakers and guardians.The centre currently helps about 140 children with food hampers on an ad hoc basis due to financial constraints.There are also about 100 babies who received milk formula once a month.An accurate database is kept of all the children.They are weighed and receive a thorough check-up from the volunteer nurses.The centre is currently based at Venga-Biart’s house, but as more and more children come to Mount Sinai for help, the place is getting too small.The City of Windhoek has donated a piece of land to Venga-Biart in Katutura and an architect has drafted plans for a proper centre for Mount Sinai.Donations are now sought to develop the land and build a centre where the children and women can safely meet and receive help and counselling.An international network of nursing students from all over the world has heard about the work that the nurses are doing at Mount Sinai and donations have been forthcoming from all over the world.Nursing students also volunteer their services at the centre.People who can help with donations of building materials or money can phone Venga-Biart at 081 288 8719