Hope for orphans

EngageHIV programme partner, Lulisandla Kumntwana, runs a community-based programme to support orphans and vulnerable children by mobilising church-based teams of volunteers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. 50 Family Support Teams involving over 350 volunteers are providing practical, emotional and spiritual care to over 3,200 orphans and vulnerable children.

E3 provides funds to enable the practical work to continue, as well as supporting Pastor Khumalo who provides spiritual support and Thulani, a support worker who specialises in working with HIV-positive children.

In a recent project report, Lulisandla shared with E3 the progress it has been making...
One activity which is already making an impact is the creation of vegetable gardens by the Family Support Teams. The orphans learn how to plant and care for the gardens so they can then use those skills at home. For one grandmother who looks after eight grandchildren, four of her own children and her brother, this has made an amazing difference for her family. Her grandsons prepare the ground, plant and water the seeds and the family is already enjoying fresh vegetables from the plot, as well as expanding it so they can sell surplus vegetables.

Another key area of support for the children is psycho-social support workshops to help them deal with the emotional trauma of losing their parents, as well as developing their life skills. In 6 months, over 700 children attended these workshops. Children then join support groups so they can continue to share and encourage each other. One such group, was started by Thulani, and then took the initiative and continued to meet twice weekly by themselves. They are doing a great job of supporting each other and have encouraged other children to join.

For many children, creating a Memory Box is an important way to help them through their bereavement. Memory Box Workers help a family to gather together information and possessions to help children know their deceased parents and remember them. At the end of the process, the child has a CD recording of the family story to keep. Thulani recently worked with a 14-year-old girl who lives with her grandmother. Both parents had died, and she knew nothing about her father. Through the process she learnt some of her father’s story and now knows some of her relatives on his side. She says: "I am now much more comfortable living with my grandmother and much happier at school. I feel like I have come to terms with my situation and can look forward".

Another 15-year-old girl knew that both of her parents had died, but she did not know why or anything else about them. Through the Memory Box process she has learnt much about her parents, and she was given the opportunity to see their graves. "This has really helped me to cope with my situation and I can focus better at school now. I’m telling lots of other children about the memory box so that they can be helped too."

Read more about Lulisandla Kumntwana