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With the average life expectancy in South Africa predicted to be no more than 34 in some communities by the year 2040, helping children to deal with the reality of HIV/Aids has to be a top priority today.
Thanks to a generous donation from a family in the UK, Ukuthasa is delighted to be able to fund the publishing of a book to help young children deal with and understand the loss of parents and other loved ones – and, most importantly, to help them realise what’s happened isn’t their fault. Threads, written by Sarah Oosthuizen, is a moving story about a little girl called Thandi whose parents have died of Aids, so she has to go and live with her grandmother. Memories of Thandi’s family are woven throughout the story and the making of a special doll who helps to show Thandi how to find comfort and hope. The book contains stunning drawings by Catherine Groenewald, a prize-winning illustrator.
The Threads package includes storybooks, short reading books for younger readers, work books, visual aids for use in a group environment and dolls.
Our aim is to get these much-needed teaching resources into as many schools as possible, initially in the Western Cape of South Africa, but ultimately throughout the whole of South Africa and beyond. Here’s a quote from the book – in the words of Gogo, Thandi’s grandmother…
‘Even little scraps can make something beautiful. Together we can patch the bits together and make it whole’
How you can help | Back to 'What we’ve achieved so far' page
