Work            on         (bflnl-prfz At the end of July, 1995 the first sod of soil was turned on the site in An- dermn Road, Mandeni for Blessed Gerard's Care Centre. At the end of October, 1995 the build- ing contractors moved onto site- The building of this wonderful facility has begun! After three years of thought. pre- paration and fund raising Blessed Gerard's Care Centre is finally becom- ing a reality.   This facility is a new concept     in     primary health care and is being watched by many organi- sations    both' within South Africa and over- seas. It is community based and will be of great   benefit to the people of the area. This is a chance for local people to take mspons- ibility for their own wel- fare and to help them- selves. They are also being given the oppor- tunity to reap the re- wards gained from help- ing their fellow man.   In these times when AIDS is rife and pri- mary health cue is so hard to come by, this fa- cility will be an innova- tive way for people to gain genuine skills in helping themselves and their families. Do not think that this centre is for AIDS sufferers only - Blessed Gerard's Care Centre will have a four- fold function: a To he a training centre for family members and other interested people in home nursing care and other related fields, e.g. AIDS prevention and care,   primary       health care, hospice care, diete- tics etc. m To train and set up mobile home nursing  Wams, who supplement  and support the family  cue, through hand"n-  training and additional  aids in the home situa-  tion of the respective pa-  tient  0 TO act as a day care  centre for sick pwple, so  that   working      family  members need not give  up their employment to  avail themselves to nurse  their relative. but can  have their patient looked  after during the day. The  patients can be involved  in occupational therapy  and recreational activi-  ties to prevent them  from boredom and the  feeling of not being  needed or useful any  more.  a To accommodate sick  people temporarily and  provide general nursing  care through an inpatient  unit. This would be a last resort which would only apply to a patient, if the patient's care cannot he adequately      maintained and secured by the train- ing of the family mem- bers or by the ~tance of the umily through the mobile home nursing ~8 or by the day cut centre. Tffis option will still give room to train  family members on their  patient in the centre@   Bl~ Geraird's Care  Centre which will be  swfcd by volunteers  will not charge for any  of the services offered,  but will run purely on  donafions. There will be  no discrimination against  colour, c~ or financial  statu&