Background | Welfare | Vocational Training | Small Business Start-Up
When the staff of Bridges of Hope leave the office each morning and head out into the wards they come face to face with absolute poverty. Often in such cases the immediate response needs to be welfare and relief based. People who are sick need transport to a medical facility, those who have an on-going illness are given support and they and their families are given health advice. Staff also sometimes act as interpreters for patients when they attend hospital or clinic appointments. When treatment has been started staff will regularly check the patients to ensure that they are continuing to take the prescribed medicines. Bridges of Hope also supplies emergency food to those who require immediate assistance, however this is only ever seen as a temporary measure while further help is given to allow the person to be self supporting.
Bridges of Hope also help children who are not attending school, either because of truancy, failure or never starting. Staff seek to bring children back to some form of education as befits their needs. For those passed the school leaving age, staff endeavour to link them to a non-formal education class where basic numeracy and literacy skills can be learnt. This is an area in which Bridges of Hope works closely with other agencies who we often refer clients on to.
