Bakwena House is a place of safety for children with HIV/Aids. It is a satellite facility of Mohau Children’s Centre in Atteridgeville. At the moment the funding for this facility comes solely from Mohau. The only other sponsor is Clapham High School that allows the children at the centre to receive tuition for free.
Dudu and Jeannette, the housemothers, take care of 8 children at the moment. 7 of the kids are HIV positive and are on anti-retrovirals. Their ages range from 13 to 18 years and they are all in high school. I didn’t see the kids themselves, they were in school, but photographs are placed all over the house, showing off its lovely occupants. According to Dudu the medication is working very well and they have never had trouble with a sick child since she’s been there (from 2008). She says they are healthy children, ordinary teenagers who often give them loads of grief (as teens tend to do). As housemothers, they run the facility as if it is an ordinary household. They are, in fact, the children’s legal guardians as most of the parents are ill with HIV/Aids themselves or already dead as a result of the disease. The parents pay no fees at all. All medication, food, clothing, educational tools and stationary, toiletries, etc are funded by the Mohau Centre.
Dudu is planning fundraisers and wants to get the children involved in projects that can generate an additional income for the facility. At the moment there is no extra money that can be used for entertainment or outings….the children are stuck at the house. Many of the kids suffer from depression because they are not only dealing with general teenage issues, they have the added baggage of being labeled as an Aids-child. Dudu says that is also the reason why they don’t have a sign with the facility name on the outside of the house….the children feel embarrassed because they are infected….they consider themselves as ‘different’ and keep their condition a secret to all they meet, even school friends and neighbors.
The house itself impressed me. It is kept extremely clean and orderly. There are no books, toys or clothes lying around (as is often the case in a house with teenagers). Dudu and Jeannette are responsible for everything in the house; the cleaning, the cooking, the medication, the laundry, the after-school support, answering the ‘difficult’ questions about life, love and being HIV positive and also the discipline. They have very strict rules in the house and Dudu says the children hardly ever take chances …Dudu and Jeannette are the law (much like a mother’s word spells the law in an ordinary house). The garden is well kept, but very empty….there is not even a swing-ball or basket ball ring, although I spied a very shaky old tree-house in the back yard. The study room is well equipped with about 4 computers, but no internet connection. The stationary and study books are kept organized and locked away.
Dudu and her colleague are two very caring people, passionate about helping these kids and making it their responsibility to see that these children still remain hopeful, even though they may not live long enough to realize their dreams.
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