Sunday Times (Johannesburg) - November 6, 2005
Phindile Chauke

Winner of the community careworker category of the Khomanani Excellence Awards this week, the compassionate 53-year-old is helping more than 700 orphans. He started his Ukhamba project in the Eastern Cape's rural Chris Hani District Municipality in 1998 after seeing the difficulties that these children faced.

"I started organising food, clothes and blankets for the children. I now also ensure that they are allowed into schools without school fees. This is done with help from the Department of Education," he said.

Some of the children are from child-headed households and Phato helps them apply for birth certificates, identity documents and social grants.

Where possible, he works with guardians, relatives or neighbours to take care of the children rather than providing shelter himself.

Phato says of the children: "They are my friends. Some even call me Bob, but others refer to me as their dad. I have a passion for children and I find fulfilment in seeing them smile. There is a certain smile they give to show their appreciation, even if they do not say it in words."

Phato's love for children has challenged the myth that men cannot be trusted with children.

"I am not intimidated by that because if you are honest with yourself and understand a girl child's needs you can make a difference. There are about 40000 orphans in our country and we need to identify and assist them or we will end up with another big problem in our country.

"I would like to encourage other men in the country to make a difference."

Phato was one of nine individual finalists who were honoured at a ceremony at the Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria on Wednesday.

There were three categories: community healthcare worker, community care worker and business (corporate, and small and medium enterprise companies).

The runner-up in the community care worker category was David Majela, 32, of Segone, Limpopo, whose work in his community includes adult literacy initiatives, tree-planting and the establishment of vegetable gardens.

Matilda Xozwa, 50, walked away with the healthcare worker award. She counsels people and provides a venue for an HIV/Aids support group.

Serena Frank, 40, of Durban, and Pandelani Mulaudzi, 41, of Makhado, Limpopo, were healthcare worker runners-up. Frank has designed and implemented HIV-Aids prevention and support programmes in her community. Mulaudzi has educated her community about HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and sexually transmitted diseases.

St Leger & Viney won the small-medium enterprise award for its HIV-Aids workplace programme. The runner-up was the Steve Tshwete Municipality in Mpumalanga for extending its workplace programmes to the local community.

Anglo Platinum scooped the award in the corporate category for the high level of integration between its workplace HIV-Aids programme, corporate vision and communication strategy.

Standard Bank was the runner-up for its measuring of the HIV risk and tailoring of performance standards into peer educators' job descriptions, which meant high levels of employee awareness.

The winners each won a trip worth R50000 to the International Aids Conference to be held in Canada next year. Each of the individual winners also received gifts worth R4000.

051106
ST051101