Choices Crisis Pregnancy
Centre
Ukuthasa funded the building of the Choices Centre
which provides offices, counselling rooms and a skills
training facility. The centre provides services to women
in crisis or at risk as a result of pregnancy (often
combined with an HIV diagnosis).
The Counselling centre remains open throughout the
year and continues to see all of the women who request
a termination of pregnancy at Helderberg Hospital. This
is a local community role that we value very highly.
Following the closure of the Residential Unit, Choices
House is being used as accommodation for volunteers,
students and tenants from local NGOs, colleges and
other community organisations. The first two residents
took occupancy in 2017.
In 2017, Choices counselled 961 women in English,
Afrikaans and
isiXhosa. Currently
they have a team of
11 staff, of which 8
are volunteers,
running the schools
life-skills training
programme, skills
development training
courses, providing
free supportive
counselling and
services in the areas
of HIV, pre- and post-
abortion and
parenting and adoption facilitation.
28 Gift packs had been donated to moms choosing to
parent their babies.
The following services are available free of charge:
Funding Focus
© Ukuthasa 2018 | Charity Registration Number: 1055539
Crisis Pregnancy
Counselling:
Free expert counselling is available
to couples and women who
experience an unplanned
pregnancy or an HIV positive
diagnosis during pregnancy and,
as a result, are exploring their
options with regard to:
✤ Termination of pregnancy
(TOP)
✤ adoption or parenting
Counselling and coaching is
provided with the aim of
enabling:
✤ those clients who are seen
to reach an informed decision.
✤ local clinics, doctors and
hospitals to refer patients for
counselling.
Post abortion counselling is
provided to those women who
come to us because they have
experienced a termination of
pregnancy in the past.
Amasekeni Shop
The Amasekeni (Which means
secondhand in Xhosa) is a shop
with quality secondhand baby
clothing for sale to the public.
Baby clothing and equipment is
collected and distributed, either
in the form of gift packs filled
with new goods for parenting
mums or through our
inexpensive second hand shop.
The shop continues to thrive
and contributes on average
£100 towards income for
Choices.
Skills Development
The Skills Development
Programme aims to assist
clients to access the
employment market. Tuition in
basic computer skills, typing
and operating a cashier's till are
available. To date 16 women
have completed the courses.
Kanga Care
When babies being released for
adoption are born and consent
documentation has been signed,
the mother is allowed a 60 day
waiting period during which she
can change her mind and decide
to keep the baby. During this
time babies may be placed with
kanga moms who provide much
need love and care until the
babies are placed with their
‘forever families’.
BabySaver Project
Choices have partnered with
Helderberg BabySaver to
provide a contained unit that is
built into the Choices building
and is large enough to take a
newborn infant. Once a baby
has been placed in the safe, the
unit contacts three responders
who will attend to the infant.
The baby is examined and taken
to the nearest hospital and
entered into foster care or the
adoption system.
Schools Programme
This programme facilitates an
interactive, abstinence-based
healthy sexuality education
programme in local primary and
high schools. The programme
aims to empower young people
to take responsibility for their
behaviour, recognising the
physical, emotional and moral
risks of casual sexual behaviour.
The aim is to develop self-
esteem, respect and awareness
as well as a basic knowledge of
HIV and the impact of the virus
in South Africa and beyond,
particularly amongst young
people. This year the Choices
team have visited 2 primary
schools, a secondary school and
a College.
Making a difference
An excerpt from a letter
written by a resident ... "One
never knows why God allows
certain things to happen, but
one thing I know is that He
allowed Choices to be there
to allow young ladies like me
to take time out and think
more clearly than they would
have if they were in their
normal circumstances."