Memory Box

Ask T. Taljaard (Project Manager):

• Martin G.:

  Looks like a very worthwhile project, but it is the project still active? Just wondering, since the…

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  Martin G. asked almost 3 years ago

  Looks like a very worthwhile project, but it is the project still active? Just wondering, since the proposal originally was for July 2008. Best regards, Martin Georgi

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  Fiona M.: answered almost 3 years ago

  Dear Martin
  
  Thank you for your question. Yes, the project is still very much active, and I will briefly describe the activities of our Children's Team for you.
  
  The Children’s Team consists of a specialised team of caregivers who provide psychosocial support to orphans and vulnerable children who have been affected by HIV and AIDS, as well as to HIV positive child patients on our Integrated Community-based Home Care, or ‘ICHC’, programme (more readily known as rural home based care). The ultimate objective of this department is to build resilience in the vulnerable children with whom they work. The Children’s Team works very closely with our Social Work Department and each rely a great deal upon one another to best serve these children. This team believes that a resilient child is likely to cope despite the adversities that she may face and that one way to build resilience is for such children and their families to participate in a Memory Box Programme.
  
  South Coast Hospice has two caregivers dedicated to the Children’s Team. These caregivers are primarily responsible for offering memory work to vulnerable children who have lost a loved one or who have ill family members. While visiting these children in their homes, they are also able to offer basic counselling and bereavement support, to hold a family conference if the need arises and to assess whether families qualify for poverty relief. They conduct awareness talks on memory work at schools and other small community-based organisations and assist with the facilitation and coordination of memory box workshops.
  
  In January 2008, there was a need to provide more structure to the home visits being made by the Children’s Team. A 5-week memory box programme was designed to better suit the needs of vulnerable children attending school. This currently allows the team to work with up to 45 children per week for a 5-week period. The team then conducts a follow up visit 1 month later, when the children are re-assessed and either discharged or referred for further assistance. In the case of HIV positive children, they will continue to be seen by the ICHC teams. This 5-week memory box programme is run in the mornings for groups of primary caregivers and to support groups who wish to participate.
  
  As part of the memory box programme, the Children’s Team run 3 memory box workshops per year during the school holidays for 20 children at a time. The primary objective of these workshops is to provide HIV-infected and affected children with life skills that will build their resilience; special emphasis is placed on memory work.
  
  In direct response to your question, we did not foresee the time between posting the project and receiving full funding as running to this length and beyond; hence, the proposed date of the workshop being listed as July 2008.
  
  Thank you for pointing out that this date still remains - I will edit the project narrative to reflect our current position (we will hold a memory box project in the school holidays immediately following funds being received). I was aware that once a project is posted on the betterplace site it is not possible to change the needs (you may add a need though), and I mistakenly assumed this applied to the description as well!
  
  Thank you very much for your interest in the memory box project. You are quite correct when you say it seems a worthwhile project... it most definitely is!!!
  
  Kind regards,
  Fiona Mennell
  South Coast Hospice
  KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

  
  
• G. Mueller:

  Dear Fiona, here again a small support for your project... I wish you more donations and that you s…

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  G. Mueller asked over 3 years ago

  Dear Fiona,
  here again a small support for your project... I wish you more donations and that you soon can realize the project.
  Love
  Gabriele

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  Fiona M.: answered over 3 years ago

  Dear Gabriele, thank you very much for your support, it really is very kind of you. We are working on trying to encourage sourcing funds from outside (i.e. outside of betterplace!), but I will keep you up to date. I hope that you are keeping well though. Love, Fiona.

  
  
• Y. Andreas:

  Dear Fiona, as I really admire your project I have a few questions which could also be of interest …

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  Y. Andreas asked over 3 years ago

  Dear Fiona,
  as I really admire your project I have a few questions which could also be of interest to all the other supporters here.
  How was the Workshop?
  Dou you have news and pictures?
  Are you continuing with a another workshop soon?
  
  Warm regards, Yvonne Andreas

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  Fiona M.: answered over 3 years ago

  Dear Yvonne
  
  Thank you for your message. I am sorry that I cannot really expand on your questions as we have not held the workshop yet due to incomplete funding. However, the South Coast Hospice Children's Team and our Social Work Department do incorporate memory work into our existing programmes and I will soon be giving feedback on the very real and positive impact their work has had in a local community; I will include photographs to add to the project's 'album' of existing pictures. This will hopefully encourage a strong response from potential supporters of the Memory Box workshop project! These workshops deal with many elements of a child's grief and loss, and the primary aim is to build confidence and self-worth - all very emotional issues, but so very important to the healthy development of a child. I will endeavour to honestly describe the influence participation in one of these workshops can have on the quality of the future life of a child. I will let you know when I have put the information together, but in the meantime take care of yourself and thank you for your continued interest. Best regards, Fiona.

  
  
• G. Mueller:

  Dear Fiona, I have no question, but would like to point out, that I deeply support the work you are…

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  G. Mueller asked over 3 years ago

  Dear Fiona,
  I have no question, but would like to point out, that I deeply support the work you are doing. I know from my own experience - working for about 20 years with traumatized women and children (and since two years also with war traumatised veterans) - how important it is for an active and healthy mourning-process to remember....
  With warm regards and the wishes for success
  Gabriele Mueller

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  Fiona M.: answered over 3 years ago

  Dear Gabriele
  
  Thank you for your message, and also, thank you for your support. I find it amazing that you - responsible for projects of your own - still be so very generous and help. You have made my week! I must be honest and tell you that your project, "Days of Joy", was and still is of great interest to me - I definitely feel an affinity, probably recognising that it is 'similar' work, so good luck with that! It is a wonderful project that you have posted. Thank you again. Take care, Fiona Mennell.