My husband and I moved to the Eastern Cape in 2000. We were both doctors but I was not then practising medicine but was planning to make my own art work and live peacefully in Hamburg.  I was confronted by the poverty in this community and it became impossible to enjoy the beauty of the place without in some way addressing this.
So I embarked on a journey that began as an insignificant embroidery project. I had no skills in finance, management or development and have had to learn them on the run. The project grew and I was persuaded to work in the local clinic and began work in 2001. There was no health aspect to the art and embroidery project then. I still had simple aims of involving all the people I know with skills and money to help this community. It could have failed or remained small and manageable but it was miraculously successful. I had advice from people in development and we formed a NGO involving about 50 members from the local Xhosa community.
Facing the high rate of infection with HIV/AIDS, we started an health initiative within the NGO. This health programme, which started with a few friends providing ARVS for people in Hamburg, grew large and became, through necessity, an advocate for TB and HIV care in the little village of Hamburg and up to 70 km or more surrounding the village. This is how the Keiskamma Trust was established in 2002 and grew as a compassionate organization integrating more of the needs of the local community.
Today, the Keiskamma Trust promotes health and hope through art, music, HIV/AIDS treatment, poverty alleviation projects and education initiatives.

Carol Hofmeyr - Director, founder of the Keiskamma Trust
(See Carol Hofmeyr’s profile on the Who’s Who of South Africa)

Board of Trustees

• Carol Baker Hofmeyr (Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, Founding director of the Keiskamma Trust, Medical Doctor, Hamburg)
• Mpumi Fundam (Programme Head at the Eastern Cape Development Corporation - Enterprise Development Services, East London)
• Andrew Hofmeyr (Business Educator, Johannesburg)
• John Kincaid (Advocate, Grahamstown)
• Thabang Meslane (Business and Client Management, Co-director of the Keiskamma Trust, Hamburg)
• Novuyani Peyi (Art Management, Community Leader, Hamburg)
• Paul Roux (Director of Paediatrics AIDS Treatment for Africa – PATA, Paediatrician and co-founder of the Kidzpositive Family fund, Cape Town)
• Annette Schouten Woudstra  (Professional writer, Co-director of the Keiskamma Trust, founder of Keiskamma-Canada, Hamburg)
• Alan Velcich (Auditor, Johannesburg)

The Trust Management Team

The Trust is collectively managed by a team made up of senior staff members of the programmes of the Trust.
Members of the Trust Management Team are:

• Florence Danais (Art Project Manager, Lecturer in Art History)
• Nokuphiwa Gedze (Art Project Finance Manager)
• Nozeti Makubalo (Art Project, Artist, Community Leader)
• Eunice Mangwane (Health Project, AIDS counsellor, Umtha Welanga Treatment Centre Manager, Community Leader)
• Major Mangwane (Health Project, Transport Coordinator, Leader of the Youth League of Hamburg)
• Thabang Meslane (Business and Client Management, Co-director of the Keiskamma Trust)
• Unathi Meslane (Public and Community Relations Coordinator)
• Nomathemba Ngqondi (Education, Eva OVC centre co-ordinator)
• Nomfusi Nkani (Art Project Assistant Manager)
• Novuyani Peyi (Art Management, Staff Coordinator, Community Leader)
• Cebo Mvubu (Art Management, Artist)
• Annette Schouten Woudstra (Professional writer, Co-Director of the Keiskamma Trust, founder of Keiskamma Canada)
• Colette Tilley (Finances and Education Manager)
• Noluvo Xhotyeni (Health Project, Health Project Manager)

To download the 2009/10 annual report, click here (1.4 meg pdf file).