thumb|Nkosi's Haven HIV AIDS Orphanage entrance and sign

Nkosi's Haven is an NGO in the Johannesburg, South Africa area that offers residential, holistic care and support for mothers and their children whose lives have been impacted by HIV/AIDS. Nkosi's Haven also provides support for orphans, HIV/AIDS affected or not.

Nkosi's Haven was named after Nkosi Johnson, an AIDS activist who dedicated his life to ensuring that mothers and their children are kept together under the belief that no mother should have to leave her child due to HIV diagnosis. Funding is allocated to assist accommodations, which include housing, food, water, medication, and hospice care. It also assists with education costs such as school fees, uniforms, and other expenditures.

Mission statement

"Through all of the work we do, we ensure that our residents learn how to live with AIDS, not die from it." Nkosi's Haven has built a home in which residents can live free from prejudice and discrimination against HIV/AIDS and children can grow into self-sufficient and responsible members of society.

Nkosi's biography

Nkosi's Haven was named after Nkosi Johnson, a young AIDS activist who died on International Children's Day in 2001. Born Xolani Nkosi, Nkosi was infected with HIV through mother-to-child transmission. Nkosi and his mother were admitted to an AIDS care centre in Johannesburg, where they met Gail Johnson, a volunteer worker. As a result, Gail Johnson took Nkosi into her care, changing his name to Nkosi Johnson, and became his legal foster mother.

After Nkosi's experience with discrimination due to his health status and the forced separation between him and his mother, Nkosi's dream was to create an HIV/AIDS care centre in which children and their mothers could live freely without prejudice or discrimination because of their health status. With the help of his foster mother, Gail, Nkosi opened Nkosi's Haven in 1999, providing hundreds of mothers and their children with a safe space and communal environment. At 11 years old, he spoke to delegates about his experience growing up with HIV. His fight with HIV birthed his dream to raise awareness and erase the stigma of HIV/AIDS through communal, supportive environments and care centres.

Nkosi was given a hero's burial memorial service in Johannesburg with thousands of attendees paying their respects to the late activist. In 2005, he was awarded with the International Children's Peace Prize for his fight against HIV/AIDS and activist efforts. After his death, Nelson Mandela released a statement, recognizing Nkosi as an "icon of the struggle for life" who fought fearlessly against HIV/AIDS. He urged everyone to give their support during this time, acknowledging Nkosi as an ambassador for South Africa and its people, especially those living with HIV.

Nkosi Johnson's legacy lives on through the work of Nkosi's Haven.

HIV/AIDS in South Africa

South Africa has had high rates of HIV/AIDS diagnoses for years, with approximately 6.19 million accounted individuals living with HIV/AIDS in 2015. Within the age group of adults aged 15–49 years old, 16.6% of that cohort is HIV positive. HIV/AIDS related deaths have been declining as of recent years, with 2005 being the year with the highest number of deaths in South Africa.

Evidence has shown that the HIV/AIDS crisis has had a significant impact on South African family life. Responsibility for children growing up in South African society has been increasingly separate from biological parenthood due to the lack of parental care available. Under many circumstances, children often care for their own families due to the circumstances created by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The 1980s was an era of high crime rates in downtown Johannesburg, which neighboured Hillbrow and Berea. After the apartheid ended in the 1990s, many gangs, along with residents from neighbouring townships, moved into the area making it unsafe. Thus, the property was offered to Gail Johnson, rent free for 5 years. Costs for operating the Berea house were as much as R150,000 to R180,000 monthly, and because all occupants could be accommodated at the village, consolidating all residents meant that no one was left without a home or unemployed. Given that Nkosi's Haven village had bigger plans in motion, the shift would focus on different things such as training opportunities for residents at the newly purchased farm and other facilities at the Nkosi's Haven Village. Although the project received backlash from neighbouring communities, key sponsors made the initiative possible and enabled Nkosi's Haven to host up to 180 residents at a time. White and brown loaves are still produced for resident consumption and are marketed to other organizations in the community at a competitive price. The program identified the children's needs and used a variety of programs to help eradicate the isolation of people living with HIV/AIDS through education, self-awareness, skill development, and recreation. ArtsINSIDEOUT organizes trips to Nkosi's Haven and has provided funding for year-round programming, including workshops and cultural programs. Local artists are invited to join the diverse artsINSIDEOUT team to enhance cultural programs available to Nkosi's Haven.

Sickbay

In 2006, Nkosi's Haven Village completed the Sickbay, consisting of a nine-bed unit, qualified nursing staff, and family physicians to help care for HIV positive residents. Many residents are sick due to AIDS-related illnesses and are being administered quality treatment and ARV's as needed. Infinite Family, an American organization that enables children living with HIV/AIDS to connect with mentors worldwide, has provided more than 50 youth at Nkosi's Haven with mentors.

Within the next 5 years of full operation, Nkosi's Haven 4LIFE farm aims to implement a self-sustaining style of living in which mothers living with HIV/AIDS and their children from a neighbouring township and the surrounding area will assist in growing organic food to serve themselves, Nkosi's Haven's residents, and the local markets and supermarkets. The goal is to produce crops for sale in supermarket chains in South Africa once the farm is sustainable and crops are of good standard. A number of new cottages will be built on the farm to accommodate more mothers and their children in need of Nkosi's Haven's assistance.

Thabo Johnson, adopted by Gail Johnson, was asking for donations for the NGO and used the money on his own behalf.

References

  • Official website