The Priory for South Africa
Who we are
St John offers First Aid and Home Care training to companies, schools, government departments, the military and of course to the general public so that they can assist in times of emergency at home and work.
Our Vision: As a leading organisation in the primary health care system, we provide, through a caring team of dedicated volunteers and support staff, training and services in first aid, basic health and home care to all those in need of our expertise, and to this end we are committed to utilizing our available resources effectively.
Our aims as an organisation are:
- to be recognised as the leading organisation providing excellence in training and services in First aid, basic health and Home Care in South Africa
- to encourage, promote and support the work of our volunteers “in the service of humanity"
- to grow a strong financial base to support the activities of our organisation
- to encourage best management practice, sound corporate governance and good stewardship in the affairs of the organisation
- to encourage dedication, responsiveness and unity within the organisation through team work.
- to assist wherever possible in the needs of our sister organisations in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- to uphold the integrity of the Order of St John.
There are now 15 branches of St John across South Africa.
South Africa at a glance
The Republic of South Africa is located at the southern tip of Africa. It borders the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho. It is the only nation in the world with three capital cities: Cape Town, the largest of the three, is the legislative capital; Pretoria is the administrative capital; and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital.
The South African economy is the largest in Africa and the United Nations now classify it as a middle-income country, with well developed service and industrial sectors. However, economic and infrastructural development are localised around four areas: Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg/Pretoria. Outside of these economic centres, development is marginal and poverty is still widespread. South Africa is thought to have one of the highest rates of income inequality in the world.
South Africa has a large agricultural sector and is a net exporter of farming products. Only 10% of the population is employed in agriculture, which is much lower than in other areas in Africa but in some rural areas subsistence farming is still commonplace.
The population of South Africa is estimated at nearly 48 million people and it is often called the Rainbow Nation - to highlight its growing multicultural diversity. Racial strife between the white minority and the black majority has played a large part in South Africa's history and politics, culminating in apartheid which was instituted in 1948 by the National Party. The laws that defined apartheid began to be repealed or abolished by the National Party in 1990, after a long and sometimes violent struggle by the Black majority as well as many White, Coloured, and Indian South Africans.
Current issues facing South Africans are the increasing problems of violent crime and HIV and AIDS. It is estimated that one in five adults are infected by the disease and the average life expectancy has fallen to 54 years.
What we do
Training:
St John currently offers:
- 6 First Aid Training courses
- 2 home base care training courses
- 1 HIV/AIDS Awareness training course
Eye care clinics
St John has established 14 Eye Care clinics in major centres around South Africa. Each clinic performs professional eye testing and dispenses spectacles to those members of the South African community who are unable to afford commercial rates. In addition these clinics diagnose cases where patients require corrective surgery such as cataract operations and refer them to eye hospitals for treatment. This screening process enables the hospitals to concentrate on their primary function of surgery.
St John Ambulance
St John Ambulance South Africa comprises volunteers of all ages, from all walks of life, trained in First Aid by St John, who offer their skills at all types of gatherings where members of the public may need First Aid. Organisers of sports meetings and large public events, social gatherings at schools regularly call on the volunteers of St John Ambulance to perform first aid duties at their functions. Young members are known as Cadets and give their time to St John on an entirely voluntary basis.