About Us
Our Mission
The Gift of Hope was established by passionate volunteers committed to making a difference in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. The Gift of Hope is dedicated to caring for women and children in South Africa infected with and affected by HIV. With projects that fill critical gaps in health care within the communities of Northern Johannesburg, South Africa, The Gift of Hope strives to ensure that all women and children have access to quality holistic HIV care and treatment, regardless of financial ability.
Our mission is predicated on several key beliefs:
All people should have access to high quality, holistic and patient-centered health care.
All children should be born free of HIV.
All people living with HIV should receive lifelong care and treatment and live free of shame and stigma.
Every individual has the power to make a difference in the life of another person in need and give the gift of hope.
Meet the Founder
LAUREN COHEN
Founder and Executive Director
Lauren devotes most of her time to not-for-profit activities. She serves as Executive Director of The Gift of Hope, which she established in 2006 on her first visit to South Africa. Moved by what she saw and experienced on the ground in KwaZulu Natal, she learned quickly that every individual has the capacity to make a difference in the life of a person with HIV, and has devoted herself to this cause ever since.
About our Partner
Established in 1946, Witkoppen Clinic, a private Non-government organization, is a comprehensive primary healthcare center serving the disadvantaged communities from the northern suburbs of Johannesburg, where unemployment is high, poverty is rife, and access to affordable health care is limited or non-existent. The majority of patients served, totaling 2.6 million, are poor and reside in informal settlements across three communities.
The Witkoppen Difference
It is Witkoppen’s holistic approach to care, offered through a multi-disciplinary team of health care providers, that is the foundation of “The Witkoppen Difference” …qualities that set them apart and ensure that your gifts are making a difference in the lives of women and children in need.
Only public health clinic with a dedicated HIV pediatrician
Only clinic to manage and care for mother and child as a pair
Only public sector clinic with a Counseling Psychologist as part of integrated health care team
No patient turned away regardless of ability to pay or country of origin
30-40% of patients are migrants, who would otherwise lack access to care
Best performing Clinic in area for viral load suppression. 91% of children under 15 have suppressed viral loads
99.9% of new patients tested for HIV, leading to early identification and treatment
100% of all HIV positive moms initiated onto ART
“Platinum Status “,granted by South African Dept. of Health’s Ideal Clinic Audit
“Excellent” grading from Office of Health Standards Compliance
The Gift of Hope is in your hands
Make a contribution today and help save and change lives