Upcoming Memory Books Seminar

*Our Women's panel stars: Nurse/Comedian Margaret Olumbe, Nurse Winifrida and Mama Mosha, head facilitator and founder of local NGO, Women in Action (WIA)*

Girls Empowerment Seminar #1 successfully completed this month at school (Jan 11-13) with over 100 kids participating. Phew. It was a handful, but well worth it, as seminars usually are. The highlight was definitely the Women's panel on the last day where 2 Tanzanian nurses, full of spunk and attitude, shared with our kids on a plethora of issues from AIDS testing to masturbation. The older mama and special guest, oozing with confidence, even danced and sang for the crowd on request; she brought the house down with her humor and genuine concern for young people. Also, shukrani za dhati to fellow PCV Jen "New York" Harding for starring on the panel. Even wazungu represent!


*Students doing a skit on sharing housework responsibilities between boys and girls, mother and father - part of the learning from the segment on gender roles and equality. Our guests, even "New York", look(s) quite frightened in the background. They're just acting!*

The theme for Peace corps-sponsored seminar #2 was just agreed upon: Memory Books for Orphans and Vulnerable Kids. We're hoping to implement this at the end of February. And I'm crossing my fingers more PCV's will be able to assist me in the endeavor (especially since many of us were trained on this method last year in Iringa with our counterparts). The more the merrier.


*Game time outside with all 100 participants - that was interesting*

Perhaps you're wondering, what in the heck is a "memory book"? It's an innovative new technique of psychosocial support for vulnerable youth. For more on memory books, go to http://info.worldbank.org/etools/docs/library/162495/sector/memorybook.htm:

Another tool for communication is the Memory Book, which was recently introduced in Zimbabwe. Originating in Uganda, the memory book is a journal of facts and memories for children who are facing loss or separation from a parent, including divorce, any terminal illness or adoption, and it is appropriate for any culture or background. If children are separated from their parents, memories and identity tend to fade. The Memory Book is an attempt to keep the memories alive and strengthens the child’s sense of belonging.

The parent or caregiver fills in information and personal stories under different headings, including “My favourite memories of you,” “Your health,” “Information about your father,” “Family traditions and special events,” and “The family tree.” As the introduction of the book states, it helps “children to understand the past and move on to a more secure future.” It is a photocopiable resource, which makes it affordable and easy to distribute to parents and carers.

There are various ways of completing the memory book. The parent can complete it and then go through it with the child or the child can help in its completion. An important aspect of the book is that the child has the opportunity to ask questions about its history and future. If the parent wishes, the book can include input from other family members, photographs and other memories to remind the children of life before the separation from their family.

The Memory Book is a tool to help the parent and the child to deal with the past, present and future of the child. As it is common for orphaned children to be moved into a different area, the book serves as a reminder of their roots so they do not lose their sense of belonging. Disclosing the parents’ HIV status is not the main goal of the book, but it does allow the opportunity to talk about HIV and facilitates disclosure to other family members.

The book is also beneficial with regard to HIV prevention, because the children witness and understand the ordeal the parent is going through and do not want to repeat it. Mothers in Zimbabwe who have learned about the Memory Book from the Positive Women’s Network say it made them aware of their children’s fears about the future. By discussing the book, they were able to talk about who the child can turn to with questions and problems, and their children could be part of the decision on where they will live after the bereavement, both of which empower the children by giving them choices. Talking about death ahead of time affords the children the opportunity to test the decision of where to live over the holidays to see if it would actually work.

Talking to children about death and dying is difficult for all parties involved. It brings out sensitive issues that the parent may not be ready to deal with. For example, one mother was filling out the Memory Book when she came to the page on the history of the father and said, “How do I tell my child about his father if I don’t even know who he is?” This and other similar problems indicate a need for additional counseling for parents while working on the book or of adapting the book format.

“By talking to your children about the future and teaching them how to take care of themselves, you create empowered orphans who can live on their own even if they’re 8.It is important to teach children that life isn’t always rosy, but that they are able to deal with the most difficult situations.”

Chipo Mbanje, Positive Women’s Network, Zimbabwe

*My boys having fun, borrowed my camera :)*

And some inspiration from Bono from his book/speech "On the move":

"God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives. God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives. GOD IS WITH US IF WE ARE WITH THEM."

"If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday and the Lord will continually guide you and satisfy your desire in scorched places" - Isaiah 58:9-11


*Lunchtime at Seminar*