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Memory Box

Memory Box
Location: Port Shepstone, KWAZULU-NATAL, South Africa
Category: Health
Published: 16 May 2008
Progress:
29% funded
   
Rating:
33 Ratings
HIV/AIDS is having a devastating effect on families in SA today and children are paying a heavy price: they are experiencing multiple losses as their circles of care break down. These children are highly traumatized by the loss of parents - many of them witness the physical deterioration, even the actual deaths. Ordinarily, children’s natural bonds with their parents provide them with their personal, social & cultural identity. After the trauma of death many children face severe emotional instability; the risks include withdrawal, destructive behaviour, learning difficulties & depression. A solution showing significant positive results in increasing resilience in affected children is engaging the children in a memory work programme. A Memory Box workshop develops the children’s psychosocial well-being, so essential for their survival. Also, the children whose needs have been met can help by providing emotional support to siblings & peers; they will also take part in other activities encouraging them to realise their full potential. The essence of memory work rests on the idea that it is good for the child to know his family story, however painful, on condition that this history is recounted in a warm, non-judgmental setting. They access this knowledge through memory & for the grieving process to unfold in a meaningful way the children’s perceptions & feelings need to be validated by supporting adults. The main aim of this intervention is to provide AIDS orphans with life skills that enhance their resilience so they cope better in life. A 5-day Memory Box workshop is planned for July 2008; 15 children will participate under the supervision of 2 qualified staff. Transport will be provided to & from their homes to a community hall where the workshop is held. All materials (Memory Boxes, paper, pencils, glue, paints…), Duduza dolls, photographs, & 2 meals/day will be provided. The children are identified by our specialised Children’s Team, Social Work Dept & ICHC teams.

Advocates (3)

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Advocates are people who vouch for this project on the basis of personal experiences, specific expertise or direct relations.
  • H. Knott

    H. Knott

    F • Berlin, Germany

    The photo was small, yellowed, the edges ripped. My playfellow kept this tiny photo in her pencil case. It was not easy to identify a man, a woman, two boys and a baby. When she showed the photo to me tears ran over her face. We reunited a few years ago. She still has the photo. 50 years later, the photo is the only tie to her family, the only memory of the father, mother, and two older brothers she lost when she was barely three years old. This painful recollection brings the Memory Box Project of the South Coast Hospice into my mind. Kwa Zulu Natal, situated in the Eastern Cape in South Africa is severely hit by the AIDS pandemic. The hospice is taking care of terminally ill patients and their families. The majority of their patients are dying of AIDS. In this context, the Memory Box Programme took shape and is giving children whose parents are dying a way to recall the past and to open a path into the future. The children are very often stigmatized by the illness of their parents or older siblings. In addition to the terrible loss of a parent or loved one they are often deprived of their inheritance and property right. In families memories stay alive in conversations, in scrapbooks, and keepsakes. In less than two years there will be 10 million AIDS orphans in Africa. Help them to keep their memories alive! 888888888888888 Das Foto war klein, bräunlich vergilbt, die Ränder eingerissen. Meine Spielgefährtin bewahrte es in ihrer Federtasche auf. Man konnte nur schwer einen Mann, eine Frau, zwei Jungen und ein Baby erkennen. Als sie mir das Foto zeigte, liefen ihr die Tränen über das Gesicht. Wir beide haben uns vor wenigen Jahren wiedergesehen. Sie hatte dieses Foto dabei. Nach mehr als 50 Jahren war es das einzige Band zu ihrer Familie, die Erinnerung an ihren Vater, ihre Mutter, ihre beiden älteren Brüder, die sie verlor, als sie kaum drei Jahre alt war. Diese auch für mich schmerzliche Erinnerung bringt mir das Memory Box Projekt von South Coast Hospice sehr nahe. Kwa Zulu Natal, am Eastern Cape in Südafrika gelegen, ist von der AIDS Pandemie sehr hart betroffen. Das Hospiz betreut Patienten, die todkrank sind, und deren Familien, und die Mehrzahl ihrer Patienten stirbt an AIDS. In diesem Kontext entwickelte sich das Memory Box Programm, das Kindern, die ihre Eltern oder einen Elternteil bereits verloren haben oder verlieren werden, Erinnerung ermöglicht, aber auch einen Weg in die Zukunft sichert. Die Kinder sind oft nicht nur durch die Krankheit ihrer Eltern oder ihrer älteren Geschwister stigmatisiert. Hinzu kommen neben dem Verlust ihrer Lieben und der Trauer oft auch der Verlust und das Anrecht auf Erbe und Besitz. In Familien bleiben Erinnerungen lebendig, in Gesprächen, in Fotoalben, in Erinnerungsstücken. In nicht einmal zwei Jahren wird es in Afrika zehn Millionen AIDS-Waisen geben. Helfen Sie die Erinnerungen lebendig zu halten!

  • Joana B.

    Joana B.

    43/F • Berlin, Germany

    Ich kenne South Coast Hospice von einem Besuch in Südafrika persönlich und habe Photos und Filme von ihrer Arbeit in den völlig verarmten ländlichen Gebieten des östlichen Kaps, der ehemaligen Transkei, gesehen. Besonders die Memory Boxes haben mich sehr berührt. Memory Boxes sind in weiten Teilen Afrikas verbreitet und unter anderem auch durch Henning Mankells Engagement für afrikanische AIDS-Waisen bekannt geworden. Sie sind ein wichtiges Ritual im schmerzlichen Prozess des Abschiednehmens und des langfristigen Wiedererinnerns.

  • D. Goring

    D. Goring

    F

    I am the Children's Team co-ordinator at South Coast Hospice and I can tell you these children benefit SO much from the Memory Box work. It's so important for them to have positive memories of their loved one who has passed away. It really makes a huge difference to these children's lives. We are so excited to hold the 5 day workshop. Thanks.

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