In Cape Town, healthcare is not a given. Those without money rarely receive medical care—and those of color receive even less.

Although South Africa has a public healthcare system, the disparities are stark. In the poor suburbs, clinics are overcrowded, medications are running out, and doctors are in short supply. Many patients receive only emergency care, and often not even that. Ambulances avoid some areas due to gang violence.

No access to medical care

Endemic diseases

Overcrowded hospitals

Violent living environment

In short...

Communities of color—people of mixed descent—in particular have little access to healthcare. They often live in the neighborhoods where people were forced to live during apartheid, far from hospitals and other amenities. Discrimination, unemployment, addiction, and poverty reinforce each other, leading to health problems piling up.

One such community is Vrygrond, a township of approximately 18,500 residents on the outskirts of Cape Town. Here, families live in small, self-built houses made of wood and corrugated iron. Running water, sewage, or reliable electricity are often lacking. The air is dusty, the groundwater polluted. And there is not a single health clinic.

The consequences are dramatic: high rates of HIV/AIDS (estimated to be 1:3), tuberculosis, malnutrition, hypertension, diabetes, and increasing addiction and mental health problems. Anyone who gets sick literally has nowhere to go. The lack of family planning options is also a major problem.

Why Community Care Clinic?

When street doctor Michelle van Tongerloo visited Vrygrond, the plan for the Community Care Clinic was born: an accessible, safe and affordable clinic by and for the community.

Preparations are in full swing:

• The location has been arranged, on the grounds of Where Rainbows Meet — a place that is respected and where gangs stay away.
• Local medical staff (nurses and doctors) have already been found.
• The clinic will be set up in a mobile container so that care can begin immediately.
• There is a concrete plan for diagnosis, treatment, collaboration with local clinics and safe storage of medication.

With your support, we bring care, hope, and dignity to a community that has gone without for too long.

Collaboration with Where Rainbows meet...

The Community Care Clinic works closely with Where Rainbows Meet, an organization active in Vrygrond since 2008. They are a familiar face in the community and offer services such as shelter, education, and food programs. This partnership creates a safe and secure environment for patients.