Kgolo Mmogo Booklet | Page 42

APPLICATION IN PRACTICE Participants must make a list of five things that are positive or meaningful in their lives. They can share the most important one with the group in the next session CLOSURE This is a story from a person diagnosed with HIV: It was 18:00, very cold and getting dark. I was waiting for a bus to go home, standing behind a tree for protection from the wind. I had recently lost a friend to Aids. From whatever measure of intuition God had given me, I knew suddenly and quite certainly that I also had Aids. I stood behind the tree and cried. I was afraid. I was alone and I thought I had lost everything that was ever dear to me. In that place, it was very easy to imagine losing my home, my family, my friends, and my job. The possibility of dying under that tree, in the cold, utterly cut off from any human love seemed very real. I prayed through my tears. Over and over, I prayed: "Let this cup pass". But I knew and after a few days the doctor told me. Now, it is nearly a year. I am still here, still working, still living, still learning how to love. There are some inconveniences. I have to take many pills, I go to the doctor once a month and find myself reassuring him that I feel quite well. Sometimes I get very tired and have sores in my mouth. This last year has been very different for me: I cry more now. I laugh more now, too. I have come to realise that my story is not in any way unique. And I have realised that death is not really the issue at all. The challenge of having Aids is not dying of Aids, but living with Aids. Life carries on and it is important to learn to live with HIV/Aids rather than to die from it. Yes, being HIV positive changes your life, but it cannot prevent you from living life positively. Discuss the way forward and preparation for next session. The next session addresses stress and coping. Ask the group to think about what they do to cope with stress. Discuss their child's group session. In this session the children looked at their own strengths and identified how these strengths could be of benefit to them. CHILDREN'S HOMEWORK The children were asked to take their body maps back home and to show you what they did in the session. Encourage your child to discuss his or her body maps and the strengths they pasted or drew onto the body map. HIV Intervention Programme for the ENHANCEMENT OF CHILDREN'S RESILIENCE 39