Item No.1 South Africa, Care Givers for Vulnerable Children

Care givers project

A care values board

There continues to be a tremendous appetite for VIHASA in South Africa. Gayl Hansen, an enthusiastic promoter, ran the full VIHASA Programme in 2011, one module a month,  from April to November, for care givers who work with vulnerable children. These include institutionalised children, youth awaiting trial and children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.

For these carers,  the needs of the children in their care come first and supersede their own personal needs, even family.  Care work is not regarded as duty; it is carried out with dedication and without much complaint and an almost servile attitude. Given this, the final module 'Valuing Yourself'  came as a wake up call and for the participants who had attended previous sessions, this was a culmination of months of training and growth in their personal and professional lives.

The response to the training as a whole was extremely positive and welcomed and endorsed by Bea Juries, Programme Director of The Novalis Ubunta Institute.