ABSTRACT
By September 1994, the Ndlovu clinic opened for business with one doctor (Hugo), three employees, and Liesje handling procurement and finance. The first months were rough, with the bank asking for its money back, but by 1995, Ndlovu added a second doctor and a third in 1997. Most patients could not afford anything beyond primary care, so they had to be referred to the (free) government hospital for anything more. Despite this, Ndlovu expanded, first opening a nutritional unit, which was later moved to four off-site locations. Many patients, particularly those with HIV/AIDS, suffered from malnutrition. Hugo decided to help patients plant a variety of crops in their gardens to provide a balanced and nutritious diet. Elandsdoorn is typical of many rural communities in South Africa: very limited drinking water, no high quality health care facilities prior to Ndlovu, no decent educational facilities, and marginal infrastructure.
