The Denis Hurley Centre Outreach Clinic which was formally opened in the Dalton Beer Hall complex last August, has been gifted a beautiful mural to provide a colourful visual oasis for patients.
The mural was designed and painted jointly by artists Giffy, Mook Lion and Sphe (Sphephelo Mnguni) with help from two of the Dalton hostel residents.
The clinic has been a partnership of the Denis Hurley Centre, working closely with benefactors Container World who originally generously donated a bespoke converted container and covered the cost of converting it into a transportable clinic where people are treated in a clean, safe and private environment. To create a more tranquil, conducive and restful surroundings midst the dire poverty of the Dalton precinct, they commissioned the artists to create the mural of their own design.
“Plants are a symbol of healing, so using images of medicinal plants was our starting point,” explained artist Gifford Duminy. “As we worked on the wall, we all kept adding more colour to brighten it up and make it as happy and cheerful as possible. We also love our flag, so the colours and designs incorporate elements of our flag too.” They used the architecture of the wall to its full advantage incorporating the diamond shape motif into the overall pattern.
“The patients love the wall – they now sit and face the wall and look at it when they wait!” said Busi Shangase, the clinic’s social worker.
Only 2.5km from City Hall, near the Dalton Hostel on the south side of the city, is a shockingly dirty area where over 400 people are living in and around an old beer hall. For the past three years, the clinic team from the Denis Hurley Centre have been visiting the area – providing desperately needed health care to those affected by poor living conditions and lack of sanitation. The team has also been advocating for the residents acting as a ‘voice for the voiceless’.
“The container has made a huge difference to our clinic operation; however we are still hampered by the municipality. They installed porta-loos for a while, but have taken them away again now and they haven’t delivered on their promise to refurbish the ablution block which is hugely problematic: there are no toilets on the site and only one water tap,” said Raymond Perrier, Director of the Denis Hurley Centre.
The clinic provides the only source of healthcare accessed by many of the local people, including those with TB and HIV. The Dalton clinic means that the DHC healthcare team can see a further 400 patients in the community in addition to the 600 they already see on the streets and the 2000 they see at the clinic at the Denis Hurley Centre.
“Next phase is to pave or concrete the ground around the clinic – so we are looking for partnership support to help with that project,” said Perrier.
For more information, contact the Denis Hurley Centre on tel: 031 301 2240.
