Africa Business Communities

[Interview] Thembe Khumalo, Executive Director at Island Hospice & Healthcare, Zimbabwe

Thembe Khumalo is Executive Director at Island Hospice & Healthcare, Zimbabwe.

Her interview with Africa Business Communities:

Would you please introduce Island Hospice & Healthcare?

Island Hospice & Healthcare is the oldest hospice in Africa. Founded in 1979 it has pioneered care for those with life-threatening illnesses and bereavement services for over 35 years.

In which industries does Island Hospice & Healthcare operate and who are its clients?

We are in healthcare and operate as an NGO. We serve the needs of the community in Zimbabwe and work through home visits, hospitals, community clinics, mobile clinics and also walk-ins calling into our premises. We have provided support and training over the years to professional from all over Africa and as far afield as Canada, the US and the UK.

Plans are under way to incorporate new technologies to enable us to extend our reach through a call centre which would include email and telephone counseling services and provision of on-line resources.

A large part of what we do is training of health professionals as well as community members. We train nurses, doctors, pharmacists as well as medical students in palliative care. We also do a lot of work with community home-based caregivers and other volunteers.  At the moment we have over 600 volunteers on our database.

What are the USP’s of your business?

We operate through a multi-disciplinary team, addressing the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspect of pain. We recognize that when someone has a serious illness there is more than just the physical to attend to. 

Additionally we have pioneered some innovative programmes such as the Young Careers Programme which supports young people who find themselves caring for a parent or relative who is seriously ill. The young persons may themselves be ill or infected. Such situations give rise to multiple complex difficulties socially, emotionally and psychologically. Our programme works to help young people address these and adjust.

How did Island Hospice & Healthcare get started?

The organization was started by Maureen Butterfield, whose daughter was dying of cancer.  She recognized that the support systems she needed were not available in here, so she founded the organisation as Island Hospice.  Last year we changed the name to Island Hospice & Healthcare to reflect the expansion of our services and the dynamism of our teams.

What is your business background before your directorship at Island Hospice & Healthcare?

Before joining Island I worked in media for many years. I was the General Manager of the country’s largest independent print media distributor and prior to that I was brand strategist for the independent media group. This followed more than ten years in advertising television and consultancy.

These experiences helped me develop a diverse collection of leadership skills which have come in handy in running this organisation, particularly the re-engineering of the Island brand.

What can be done by entrepreneurs and government to stimulate the business environment in Zimbabwe?

Zimbabwe is poised to thrive, if we could only get out of the political quagmire we find ourselves in. Rich in natural resources, with an innovative educated and hardworking workforce, all we need here is an enabling environment, and the economy will soar. 

Do you think women entrepreneurs typically have a harder time accessing loans through traditional bank channels?

I suspect this question is less relevant in Zimbabwe because hardly anyone can get a loan! But yes, it’s harder for people to trust you, to have faith in your idea if you are a woman. I get the impression we are not taken as seriously as men until we have proven ourselves, despite having sterling examples of phenomenal women leaders like Divine Ndlukula and Hope Sadza.

What can you say about the targets of Island Hospice & Healthcare for the rest of 2015?

We are in the process of recovering from a serious organizational restructuring, a necessary evil for most organizations operating in this economy. Last year we spent a lot of energy getting to stabilization which we have now achieved. In 2015 our focus is on securing resources for long term growth.

Do you believe Social Media and the Internet to be a plus to the business environment, as it applies to your industry?

Absolutely! Communication is a major driver of how we reach out to both users of our services and donors, supporters and volunteers. Social media enables real time, wide reach conversation on a variety of topics and we have not even begun to exploit its full potential.

What expectations do you have for Zimbabwe’s economy in 2015?

Sadly, very low ones. We have to fix our politics before the economy can grow.

Which African countries will perform best in 2015?

Nigeria, because they have the advantage of already being ahead.

South Africa – in spite of their labour and political problems it will be a while before it implodes.

Rwanda – this is just my instinct. Kagame’s policies are impressive and he gets results.

www.linkedin.com/pub/thembe-khumalo

www.islandhospice.care

www.twitter.com/thembekhumalo

 

Africa Business Communities is conducting a series of interviews with CEO's and high-end professionals in Africa. Are you interested in an interview? Please send an e-mail to Andrea Ayemoba: andrea@africabusinesscommunities.com

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