Nkosishaven.org

Nkosishaven.org Who they are: A non profit organization that services children and mothers (not fathers specifically) infected or not with AIDS/HIV. They have been in operation since 1999 and are located in Johannesburg South Africa What they do: Intervene on behave of mothers and children in South Africa that were not getting the proper medical care and respect from the government. How they do it: This is a tricky statement considering there is not a large amount of cash flow. However what they do directly is provide “hospice-like” care for children and babies who are entering the last stages of death. They also provide medical care, therapy, Leisure, workshops, and sustainable agriculture. Where they do it: There are two locations that the organization houses most of their constituents, both located in Johannesburg, but separated by distance. “Nkosi’s Haven (Berea), our first location, is situated north east of Johannesburg in one of the most densely populated suburbs in the country. Following the belief that no mother should be separated from her child because of HIV status, we have worked hard to ensure that all of the resident mothers and children at Nkosi’s Haven (Berea) are provided with holistic care and support. (Currently, our Berea location accommodates 11 mothers and 48 children, of which 22 are orphaned.)” “Nkosi’s Haven Village is situated on a 2.5 acre plot of land just south of Johannesburg in the Alan Manor neighbourhood and currently accommodates 31 mothers and 98 children, of which roughly half are orphaned. While our initial plans to develop the site as a care facility and residency for HIV infected mothers and their children was met by objections from many neighbouring sites, thanks to support from a number of key sponsors, we have since been able to create an energetic and positive environment for over 180 mothers and children at full capacity. Currently the village consists of: 17 resident cottages; a sickbay; a therapy block; a library; a baby daycare; workshops and classrooms for additional onsite education and skill building; a leisure room; an upgraded kitchen; a sports field; and our main administrative offices. Further, we are currently working on securing funds to build additional cottages (and thus expand our capacity), a Music and Arts center, and an onsite preschool.” Why they do it: Gail Johnson would most likely tell you she does it to keep sane. However they do all this because Nkosi Johnson knew we are all the same, and that the South African government needed to treat all the children that way: The same. At Nkosi’s Haven they do just that.