Restoring Dignity

Footprints 2 Africa ● SASS ● Helen Joseph State Hospital

In April and May 2025, Footprints 2 Africa (F2A) partnered with the South African Society of Stomates (SASS) and Helen Joseph State Hospital (HJH) in Johannesburg to strengthen stoma care within South Africa’s public health system.

What began as a training workshop quickly became a united mission, to restore dignity, build capacity, and bring hope to patients and nurses facing daily hardship in an overstretched system.

A Hospital Under Pressure

Helen Joseph Hospital is the only tertiary hospital serving Region B of Gauteng. With no district or regional hospitals to share the load, its stoma clinic faces overwhelming demand, treating hundreds of ostomates from areas as far as Soweto with extremely limited resources.

Before this collaboration, the clinic operated with just one trained stoma nurse and frequent stock outs that left patients desperate. Many could receive as few as three pouches per month, forcing them to reuse old bags or resort to unsafe makeshift alternatives.

“Many of our patients don’t even know what type of stoma they have, let alone how to care for it,” explained Lethabo Mashile, Communications Manager at HJH. “This partnership gave our staff the confidence, tools, and understanding to truly help them.”

As a UK registered, faith based charity, Footprints 2 Africa provided three months of essential stoma supplies to Helen Joseph Hospital, ensuring that 60 patients received a full 30 day supply each month, a first for many who had gone years without reliable access to products.

This consistent supply allowed nurses to properly assess, fit, and educate patients without fear of running out. The impact was immediate: fewer leakages, improved skin health, and a visible rise in confidence and dignity among patients.

“F2A made it possible for us to say YES to our patients,” said Sr Aletta Ross, Operational Manager. “For once, we didn’t have to turn anyone away. Their donations were more than supplies, they were a lifeline.”

Due to the success of the initiative, this support was extended through to September 2025, ensuring continued relief for patients while SASS and the hospital worked to secure longer term solutions.

In a system where shortages and suffering have long been normalised, this partnership stands as proof that collaboration and compassion can transform care.

Together, Footprints 2 Africa, SASS and Helen Joseph Hospital showed that with shared purpose, expertise, and heart, dignity can be restored one precious bag at a time.

“There is light at the end of the tunnel,” said Sr Aletta. “And this programme is that light.”