SCENARIO 2
You and your 10-year-old son watch the Generation soap series on television. One of the characters discloses his HIV status to his
girlfriend.
Task:
Read the scenario to the mother. Ask a volunteer to tell you how she could use this situation to disclose her situation to her son.
Discuss:
Ask the other mothers if they agree with her or if they would do it differently.
ASSESSMENT
Reflect in the group. What is your opinion of disclosing to your child?
APPLICATION IN PRACTICE
Many parents and caregivers decide not to reveal the HIV status of their children. They want to prevent their children from being
teased or shunned by other children, but this also prevents the child from receiving the best possible care and support. Either way,
this is a difficult decision to make. It takes a lot of courage to tell someone you have HIV, because society as a whole has not learnt
yet how to deal with the HIV/Aids pandemic. Some people take a head-in-the-sand attitude and prefer not to know, which does not
help children affected by HIV/Aids either. Ask the mothers to think about their viewpoint on disclosing to their children if they had
not yet disclosed to their child(ren).
Invite the mothers at the end of the session for a lunch prepared by their children (soup and bread or fruit salad). Remind them to
comment on the children's efforts in making this soup or salad.
CLOSURE
Discuss the way forward and preparation for next session. Next week's session addresses life planning and goal setting. Discuss the
children's group session. In this session the children had a practical fun cooking session.
CHILDREN'S HOMEWORK
Ask the children to take care of their 'potato head' man or woman, and to give him or her enough water every day but not too much
water. The 'potato head' man or woman is a potato filled with cotton wool and seed. The seeds must be watered everyday by the
child, but not soaked with water. It must stand in a place where the sun can reach, but not where it is exposed to the wind and cold.
A good place is the windowsill.
HIV
Intervention Programme for the ENHANCEMENT OF CHILDREN'S RESILIENCE
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