alternative gifts
If you struggling to find the perfect present for someone, look no further. You can help orphans remember their mummies and daddies – you won’t find a more valuable gift than that!
In South Africa in 2005, there were a total of 3.4 million orphans – 26% (or 865,000) of them lived in Kwa-Zulu Natal.
EngageHIV partner, Lulisandla Kumntwana, is helping orphaned children in Kwa-Zulu Natal to put together memory boxes. The idea is simple, yet vital to help children cope with their loss and eventually look to the future with hope.
A memory box (or book) is a collection of stories, cuttings and keepsakes to remind a child of his or her mummy and daddy. Children might choose to keep things like fabric from mummy’s favourite dress or a piece of jewellery.
Memory Facilitators run workshops to help children and their families collect and keep precious family memories, and talk about their feelings and develop resilience to all they are going through.
Memory Box Worker, Thulani, explains “talking about losing a parent to AIDS can be a big cultural taboo, and a child, especially a young child, will just be moved into a new family with no discussion and told that the woman of the house is the mother”. Depending on their age children grow up knowing that things aren’t quite right. Some are treated differently to others in the family. “This is why the memory box programme is so important. Some children who are struggling and not coping with their situation, change their behaviour after they are helped to understand what has happened to their parents,” says Thulani.
At Lulisandla Kumntwana, there are two memory box workers who support and train 435 community carers, looking after 4,000 orphans and vulnerable children.
What you can do ...
Consider giving a donation to the memory box work as a birthday, anniversary or other gift to a friend or family member or simply make a donation to this vital work. If the donation is a present for someone else, you can download a gift sheet and add your own message. You may like to make a donation as a family and reduce the number of presents you give to each other. Find out more and take action
Note: if the money raised is over and above EngageHIV’s annual contribution to memory box work, the money will go to similar projects supporting orphans and vulnerable children.
