OYSTER BAY – Pharmacist Lésa Seeney has dedicated her time to bringing healthcare and support services closer to vulnerable people in Oyster Bay and surrounding rural communities through the Oyster Bay Healing Centre.

What began in a rusted old container in Umzamowethu, Oyster Bay, from 2021 to 2022 has since developed into a clinic offering healthcare and a range of community programmes.

From container to licensed pharmacy

According to Seeney, the idea for the clinic came after community member Wendy Williams approached Herman Stoffberg, the founder of non-profit organisation Living Water, to ask for help in building a clinic.

Construction began in June 2023 and was completed in 2024.

The centre received its pharmacy licence in October 2025, and now operates as a fully licensed pharmacy where medication is dispensed.

Bringing healthcare closer to rural communities

For Seeney, the need for services closer to home is particularly important in a rural community.

“Oyster Bay is a beautiful place, but living in a rural community can make accessing basic services very difficult,” said Seeney.

She said people from Umzamowethu can struggle to access healthcare and other support because of the distance involved or the cost of transport.

“For many people, 28 kilometres to the nearest clinic may not sound very far, but when you do not have your own transport, it can become an enormous barrier,” said Seeney.

She said a clinic visit can involve finding taxi money, losing a day’s income, arranging childcare and making several trips for follow-up appointments.

“For a household already struggling financially, those costs can mean that healthcare is delayed or simply not accessed at all,” said Seeney.

She said the centre provides services including healthcare, community outreach, TB and HIV-related work, rehabilitation support, food security initiatives and assistance to vulnerable households.

Seeney said bringing services closer also creates opportunities to identify health problems earlier.

She said people can have their blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol checked, undergo TB screening, HIV screening and primary health care conditions.

“The clinic gives people something extremely important, access to healthcare with dignity, within their own community,” said Seeney.

Supporting people affected by addiction

Another part of the centre’s work involves helping people struggling with drug addiction to access rehabilitation.

Seeney said working with people affected by addiction had shown her that the problem could not simply be reduced to telling someone to stop using drugs.

“Behind addiction there is often trauma, poverty, unemployment, family breakdown, hopelessness or circumstances that most of us know very little about,” said Seeney.

While people still need to take responsibility for their choices, she believes this should not come at the cost of their humanity.

“If you treat somebody as though they are worthless, it becomes very difficult for that person to believe that their life can become something different,” said Seeney.

She said the centre also creates employment opportunities for some people recovering from addiction.

For Seeney, rehabilitation is only the beginning, as people eventually must return to everyday life.

“Employment provides much more than an income. It gives a person routine, responsibility, purpose and dignity,” said Seeney.

She said having a job can also help people move away from being defined by their addiction and instead see themselves as workers, colleagues, providers and contributors to their communities.

Extending services to farming communities

Seeney said the centre’s work extends beyond Umzamowethu, with services also being provided to surrounding farming communities.

She said distance and transport difficulties could make it difficult for farm workers to attend routine screenings.

“Healthcare facilities may be far away, transport can be difficult, and workers cannot always take time away from work to attend routine screenings,” said Seeney.

She said the centre conducts TB testing on farms and provides health education, while referring people to clinics when necessary.

“Sometimes the most important intervention is simply bringing the service to the person,” said Seeney.

The centre also runs a nutrition programme for ECD centres in Umzamowethu and Grade R learners at Sandwater Primary School.

In addition, the programme assists vulnerable people, including those who are sick, have TB or HIV, are malnourished or are experiencing financial difficulties.

Seeney said the Kouga Local Municipality Special Programmes Unit is the centre’s biggest sponsor, along with Kouga Wind Farm.

StrongHer nomination recognises community work

Seeney’s involvement in the community recently brought an unexpected form of recognition when she was nominated for the Kouga Municipality’s StrongHer International Award, an experience she described as “absolutely phenomenal”.

According to the municipality, the award recognises women who uplift and inspire their communities.

Seeney said she did not know about the nomination until she received an invitation to attend the function.

Rather than viewing the nomination as an individual achievement, she said the occasion gave her an opportunity to acknowledge those who had contributed to the centre’s work.

“The nomination came as a huge surprise. I was very grateful for the opportunity, not for myself but to give credit to my dedicated team,” said Seeney.

She also thanked community members and farm workers who had allowed the centre into their lives. “Without them there would be no StrongHer and Oyster Bay Healing Centre,” said Seeney.

She described the event as an “amazing” experience and said hearing the stories of the other nominated women was inspiring.

Seeney congratulated Maria Pennacchinni, who won the award, describing her as “a true inspiration”.

For Seeney, the recognition reflects a broader belief about what strength means.

“To me, being a StrongHer is not about never becoming tired, discouraged or overwhelmed. Strength is continuing despite those moments,” said Seeney.

She believes community work requires people to work together and recognise that everyone has something valuable to contribute.

“There are certainly difficult days, but there are also extraordinary moments of resilience,” said Seeney.

“Seeing people regain hope is what keeps me committed.”

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