Creating Work Opportunities for the Poor through Home Community- Based Care (HCBC) in South Africa

Abstract

This article seeks to investigate how Home Community Based Care (HCBC) is used as a strategy to create work opportunities for the poor. Quantitative and qualitative data from 65 HCBC organisations with three  years of active involvement in HCBC that are funded by the Department of Health was collected. This was done by means of in-depth interviews and focus group discussions using structured questionnaires with  open- and close-ended types of questions.The study indicated an incremental trend in job creation for  community caregivers, but it also demonstrated a decline in the number of ill patients that require care. It was also discovered that HCBC organisations in the Limpopo province are solely dependent on the  government for funding. These organisations do not have the capacity to generate income to sustain their services beyond government funding. The study demonstrated that the investment of the government in the HCBC programme is an effective employmentcreation strategy. The study can be used as a catalyst and a role player in reducing unemployment in rural communities. However, the fact that the demand for this service has declined in communities threatens the viability of this strategy for job creation. A number of recommendations are given on HCBC in relation to its optimisation and its use in job creation.