Thandazile is 6 years old. Her mother died of AIDS leaving her with uncles who began to abuse her. Luckily a family friend, Nokulunga took her away. Thandazile was confused about what had happened and became withdrawn and isolated. Nokulunga heard about memory boxes and how they help grieving children, she invited Mabel, a Sinomlando memory facilitator to her house. Mabel sat and asked many questions about her mother. She was invited to join a children's group where they made the boxes to put the story in. Mabel gave her a little book with everything written down and special mementos as reminders. From time to time, Thandizale asks to look at the box and even puts on her mum's dress as it makes her feel good. One day, she will read the story of her mother's life.
The stigma of AIDS is so great in Africa that some children are not even told that their parents have died, merely that they have gone away. The Sinomlando project helps families to talk with their children about death and loss. HOPEHIV believes it is crucial to address the emotional scars left by bereavement for orphans to flourish in later life. In partnership with the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, HOPEHIV funds this pioneering project to train organisational volunteers helping dying parents record their life stories and to pass on their favourite things and photographs in a Memory Box to their children after their death. These become 'treasures' that give an orphan an identity and a sense of belonging that they can otherwise easily lose. Community organisations also set up children's groups to work through bereavement issues.
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HOPEHIV want to help more children like Thandazile benefit from the memory box process. But we need your help. Just £50 will help train another volunteer like Mabel. DONATE NOW.