Our Nominated Charity

HOKISA (Homes for Kids in South Africa) was founded in 2001 in Cape Town as a South African nonprofit NGO (Non Governmental Organisation) to contribute in the fight against AIDS by creating examples of care especially for those who are most vulnerable – the children.

It is the aim of HOKISA to empower members of poor communities where HIV/AIDS is most devastating. No money is spent for office buildings or costly administration. Donations go directly to the HOKISA Children’s Home and the care of the children. All childcare workers are residents in the same township community and have had the opportunity to grow and develop their skills.

We understand this as a concrete way to promote openness around HIV/AIDS, and to educate against the stigma and denial around the disease by setting examples of effective care and honest communication.

On December 1, 2002 (World AIDS Day) the first HOKISA Home was opened in the township of Masiphumelele, south of Cape Town, by Archbishop (em.) Desmond Tutu. This HOKISA Home was named by the community: HOKISA IKAYA LETHU – HOKISA OUR HOME.

How It Began

HOKISA was founded in March 2001 in Cape Town by Karin Chubb, then a South African senior lecturer at the University of the Western Cape, and Dr. Lutz van Dijk, a Dutch-German writer. The starting point was their common work in reporting on the youth hearings of the South African Truth & Reconciliation Commission (1996-98).

Realizing that HIV/AIDS was becoming a more and more devastating threat to the people of South Africa and the new democracy, both decided to dedicate the royalties of their books on human rights and HIV/AIDS to projects for children affected by this disease. Since then, Lutz van Dijk has written more books published in South Africa, all royalties going to the HOKISA project. His novel Crossing the Line (Themba) has been made into a major motion picture.

History

In the first year of its activities (2001-2002) HOKISA did research and tried to learn from other organisations active in this field. We supported five projects financially in the course of this year:

• A Group of HIV-positive mothers in Kayelitsha (Western Cape)
• The Emthonjeni Learning Project in Gugulethu (Western Cape)
• The Lizo Nobanda Day Care Centre of Nazareth House (Western Cape)
• Sparrow’s Nest – Rainbow Village in Johannesburg (Gauteng)
• HIV/AIDS awareness workshops (Western Cape and Gauteng

In March 2002 the HOKISA board endorsed the decision of the directors to create a home for children affected and infected by HIV/AIDS in one of the poorest communities in the Western Cape – the township of Masiphumelele, about 25 km south of Cape Town. The idea was to plan and build this home together with members of this community – and thus also to create jobs for at least some of them in the long run.

The First HOKISA Home

Already as early as February 2002 a HOKISA support group met regularly at the Day Care Clinic in Masiphumelele to decide on the character, design, building and finally personnel of the first HOKISA Home in South Africa. The Support Group was generally open to everyone from the community who wanted to contribute and could offer some experience and advice in the field of children, health care, education and/or HIV/AIDS awareness. Regular members were health care workers, teachers, nurses from the clinic, members of youth and women organisations and church groups. Sometimes also HOKISA board members took part in the meetings.

Statement by the HOKISA Support Group in Masiphumelele:

“A possible future HOKISA Home shall not be an orphanage, but a home for those children affected by HIV/AIDS whose families are unable to care for them for a certain period of time. Efforts will be made continuously, to reunite the children with their (wider) families, to maintain family values and to encourage spiritual and emotional growth. While at a HOKISA Home, children will receive educational, nutritional and medical care as well as counselling where possible.”

To read about our contributions, click here for 2011 and here for 2012. We also hosted a Christmas Party for the HOKISA kids in Dec 2010. Read more about it here