SURVIVOR'S GROUP
The Survivor's Group
Knysna Aids Council has been hosting a survivor's group since 2002. The group consists of people infected or affected by HIV/AIDS and meets once a week to discuss questions related to HIV/AIDS, to bring support to each other but also to organise activities such as music, drama, and gardening. Sunshine Rolisisu took over supervising the survivor's group not long after he started as a counselor at the Knysna Aids Council in 2003. Since then, he
has been working hard on keeping this group thriving. The members of the group now get together every Thursday at Nombulelo's house in White Location. The meeting used to be held at the Council's offices but for many people it was too far to come all the way to town centre. Nombulelo now opened her house to the survivor's group which she is part of. During the one hour and a half they spend together on Thursdays, Sunshine leads the
group to share ideas about their feelings and teaches them how to be a support to each other. They also have fun, sing or play games. The idea of the Survivor's group is to educate people regarding HIV/AIDS and support, but also to give hope and make friends. When someone from the group is very sick, they usually go to visit the person and bring food (donated by the Council). They often make tea, cook and clean their house. The group is very dedicated to helping people who are too sick to look after themselves.
Currently, the group consists of about 20 members, but people come and go and they often see new faces. However, not everyone can come and join the meetings. Before someone becomes a member of the survivor's group, Sunshine interviews them. He discusses the reasons why the person wants to join the group and what kind of support they need. Only once Sunshine accepts the person is he or she introduced to the group.
Sunshine's Garden
One of the great achievements of the Survivor's group has been the vegetable garden, which started in March 2005. Sunshine has been the pioneer of this project which is why it is called Sunshine's Garden. The idea behind this garden was not only to produce vegetables which the members can take home, but also to give hope to people living with HIV and AIDS. When living with HIV/AIDS, it is important to have projects and take your health into your own hands. Eating healthily is essential when a person is infected with the
virus as this strengthens one's immune system. The members of the group thus learn about what is good for them and it also encourages them to start a garden at home. Sunshine also believes that this project gives people hope as they might one day become self-sufficient and start selling the vegetables to shops in Knysna.
The group started the project by clearing a lot behind the Knysna Aids Council's offices at Melrose House. They took out weeds and dirt and planted seeds of carrot, onion, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, beetroot, bean, etc. The idea behind the project is "those who share the work share the reward". Each new member has to bring seeds to be planted and the people who work in the garden receive the rewards of taking home vegetables they grew themselves. This is a community garden as the vegetables are used for anyone in need,
such as the families of the group members, people who are too sick to look after themselves, the ARV clinics, etc.
The group used to meet once a week at the Council's offices to work in the garden but in winter someone was hired to look after the garden permanently. It was growing bigger and bigger and needed much attention. Sunshine is now hoping that they will find someone for the start of 2007 to work in the garden permanently again as for the moment, there isn't anyone tending the garden on a regular basis. But it will be tended to again soon and the
garden will become strong and continue bringing hope to people in the Survivor's Group.
Survivors Group - Community Garden
On a side street in central Knysna, the Garden Route is living up to its name.
Tender leaves of young spinach poke through the soil. Nearby are rows of cabbage, broccoli and beetroot. The green tops of carrots and onions wave gently in the breeze.
This is the community vegetable garden tended by members of the Survivors Group, a support organization for people living with HIV and AIDS that meets twice weekly at the offices of Knysna AIDS Council.
Members of the 16-strong Survivors Group say working in the garden not only provides them and their families with a direct supply of fresh, healthy vegetables. It also gives them a chance to prove they can take charge of their own futures, despite the hardships posed by HIV and AIDS.
"Even if you are living with HIV you can stand up for yourself," said 'Mary', a member of the group who prefers not to use her real name for reasons of privacy. "You're not dying. You can do whatever you want to do."
The garden project was started in March 2004 by the leader of the Survivors Group, Sunshine Rolisisu. An office assistant at Knysna AIDS Council, Sunshine got involved with HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention after seeing friends and family members struck down by the virus.
"We want to have an independent and motivated support group," said Sunshine, who also provides counselling and condom distribution as part of his duties.
The budding gardeners started last year by clearing a vacant lot on Graham Street, behind Knysna AIDS Council's offices. Out went weeds and debris. In went seeds for spinach, cabbage, broccoli, beetroot, lettuce, carrots, green beans and onions.
Sunshine's Garden, as the project is nicknamed, operates on a simple premise: Those who share the work share the rewards. Each new gardener who joins the project is required to contribute seeds, and on Tuesday mornings the Survivors Group members can be found weeding and watering the rows of vegetables. The group also meets for discussions on Thursdays.
The Land Development Unit in George provided equipment such as spades, gloves, buckets and gumboots, and 12th-grade students from Oakhill School in Knysna have also donated time and labour to the garden. A youth group from the New Apostolic Church spent Womens Day planting the garden.
Eating fresh fruit and vegetables helps boost the immune system to assist the body in fighting off infections, according to the South African Department of Agriculture.
Eventually the support group hopes to begin selling some of the vegetables so the group members can be self-supporting, Sunshine said. "We are so pleased to start this project. It is giving us hope," he added.
As group member Nombulelo Fanti said: "HIV is not the end of the world."
If you are interesting in providing seeds, plants, tools or other support to the Survivors Group, or if you are interested in the group's other activities, please contact Sunshine Rolisisu or Millicent Seela at Knysna AIDS Council on +27 (0)44 382 0989.
The Survivor's Group
Knysna Aids Council has been hosting a survivor's group since 2002. The group consists of people infected or affected by HIV/AIDS and meets once a week to discuss questions related to HIV/AIDS, to bring support to each other but also to organise activities such as music, drama, and gardening. Sunshine Rolisisu took over supervising the survivor's group not long after he started as a counselor at the Knysna Aids Council in 2003. Since then, he
has been working hard on keeping this group thriving. The members of the group now get together every Thursday at Nombulelo's house in White Location. The meeting used to be held at the Council's offices but for many people it was too far to come all the way to town centre. Nombulelo now opened her house to the survivor's group which she is part of. During the one hour and a half they spend together on Thursdays, Sunshine leads the
group to share ideas about their feelings and teaches them how to be a support to each other. They also have fun, sing or play games. The idea of the Survivor's group is to educate people regarding HIV/AIDS and support, but also to give hope and make friends. When someone from the group is very sick, they usually go to visit the person and bring food (donated by the Council). They often make tea, cook and clean their house. The group is very dedicated to helping people who are too sick to look after themselves.
Currently, the group consists of about 20 members, but people come and go and they often see new faces. However, not everyone can come and join the meetings. Before someone becomes a member of the survivor's group, Sunshine interviews them. He discusses the reasons why the person wants to join the group and what kind of support they need. Only once Sunshine accepts the person is he or she introduced to the group.
Sunshine's Garden
One of the great achievements of the Survivor's group has been the vegetable garden, which started in March 2005. Sunshine has been the pioneer of this project which is why it is called Sunshine's Garden. The idea behind this garden was not only to produce vegetables which the members can take home, but also to give hope to people living with HIV and AIDS. When living with HIV/AIDS, it is important to have projects and take your health into your own hands. Eating healthily is essential when a person is infected with the
virus as this strengthens one's immune system. The members of the group thus learn about what is good for them and it also encourages them to start a garden at home. Sunshine also believes that this project gives people hope as they might one day become self-sufficient and start selling the vegetables to shops in Knysna.
The group started the project by clearing a lot behind the Knysna Aids Council's offices at Melrose House. They took out weeds and dirt and planted seeds of carrot, onion, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, beetroot, bean, etc. The idea behind the project is "those who share the work share the reward". Each new member has to bring seeds to be planted and the people who work in the garden receive the rewards of taking home vegetables they grew themselves. This is a community garden as the vegetables are used for anyone in need,
such as the families of the group members, people who are too sick to look after themselves, the ARV clinics, etc.
The group used to meet once a week at the Council's offices to work in the garden but in winter someone was hired to look after the garden permanently. It was growing bigger and bigger and needed much attention. Sunshine is now hoping that they will find someone for the start of 2007 to work in the garden permanently again as for the moment, there isn't anyone tending the garden on a regular basis. But it will be tended to again soon and the
garden will become strong and continue bringing hope to people in the Survivor's Group.
Survivors Group - Community Garden
On a side street in central Knysna, the Garden Route is living up to its name.
Tender leaves of young spinach poke through the soil. Nearby are rows of cabbage, broccoli and beetroot. The green tops of carrots and onions wave gently in the breeze.
This is the community vegetable garden tended by members of the Survivors Group, a support organization for people living with HIV and AIDS that meets twice weekly at the offices of Knysna AIDS Council.
Members of the 16-strong Survivors Group say working in the garden not only provides them and their families with a direct supply of fresh, healthy vegetables. It also gives them a chance to prove they can take charge of their own futures, despite the hardships posed by HIV and AIDS.
"Even if you are living with HIV you can stand up for yourself," said 'Mary', a member of the group who prefers not to use her real name for reasons of privacy. "You're not dying. You can do whatever you want to do."
The garden project was started in March 2004 by the leader of the Survivors Group, Sunshine Rolisisu. An office assistant at Knysna AIDS Council, Sunshine got involved with HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention after seeing friends and family members struck down by the virus.
"We want to have an independent and motivated support group," said Sunshine, who also provides counselling and condom distribution as part of his duties.
The budding gardeners started last year by clearing a vacant lot on Graham Street, behind Knysna AIDS Council's offices. Out went weeds and debris. In went seeds for spinach, cabbage, broccoli, beetroot, lettuce, carrots, green beans and onions.
Sunshine's Garden, as the project is nicknamed, operates on a simple premise: Those who share the work share the rewards. Each new gardener who joins the project is required to contribute seeds, and on Tuesday mornings the Survivors Group members can be found weeding and watering the rows of vegetables. The group also meets for discussions on Thursdays.
The Land Development Unit in George provided equipment such as spades, gloves, buckets and gumboots, and 12th-grade students from Oakhill School in Knysna have also donated time and labour to the garden. A youth group from the New Apostolic Church spent Womens Day planting the garden.
Eating fresh fruit and vegetables helps boost the immune system to assist the body in fighting off infections, according to the South African Department of Agriculture.
Eventually the support group hopes to begin selling some of the vegetables so the group members can be self-supporting, Sunshine said. "We are so pleased to start this project. It is giving us hope," he added.
As group member Nombulelo Fanti said: "HIV is not the end of the world."
If you are interesting in providing seeds, plants, tools or other support to the Survivors Group, or if you are interested in the group's other activities, please contact Sunshine Rolisisu or Millicent Seela at Knysna AIDS Council on +27 (0)44 382 0989.
Sunshine at work
in the new garden
in the new garden
The team are ready to start
in the vegetable garden
in the vegetable garden
The planting and sowing begins
