Nkosi’€™s Haven in Johannesburg’€™s Berea suburb has been going for seven years and is now home to more than 90 residents — 14 HIV positive mothers, 51 children and 26 orphans.

‘€œSocial workers tried to help me by sending me to other homes. But all the places they found for me separated me from my children, and I’€™d rather live on the streets than give them up,’€ says Emmalinah Sindane.

Sindane is an HIV positive mother who has been living at Nkosi’€™s Haven, a home for HIV positive mothers and their children, for the past six years.

Sindane came to Johannesburg from KwaZulu-Natal to look for a job to support her two children. Instead, she was raped.

Then, while she was pregnant, she became so sick that she couldn’€™t do anything for herself. A nurse at a local clinic helped her find her way into Nkosi’€™s Haven.

‘€œThank God all of my children are negative,’€ says Sindane.

Jane Mwasa, the house manager of Nkosi’€™s Haven, explains: ‘€œWe’€™re taking a mother and her child here because this is about Nkosi’€™s mission. When Nkosi, died he felt there are kids who will be suffering because their mothers have died of AIDS which is not a good thing. He couldn’€™t stay with his mom because she died. The bond of a mother and child should be kept together.’€

Nkosi Johnson was one of South Africa’€™s longest surviving children born HIV positive. He was separated from his HIV positive mother while he was a toddler, and raised by Gail Johnson.

Gail started Nkosi’€™s Haven to prevent other HIV positive mothers from being separated from their children, as Nkosi was.

‘€œNormally what we’€™re finding is that mothers want their kids to be left under Nkosi’€™s Haven’€™s care even if they pass on because they know the future of their kids is secured,’€ says Mwasa.

Sixteen-year-old Sthandiwe is an orphan who lives at the haven. She is HIV positive as a result of being raped at the age of 12. At the time, she had no comprehension of what it meant to be HIV positive.

‘€œI didn’€™t understand what it means to be HIV. I just didn’€™t understand know what is it. I realised that I’€™m really sick; but even if you’€™re HIV you may stay longer ‘€“ maybe 20 years you can stay,’€ she says.

Mwasa says that Nkosi’€™s Haven allows the women and their children to enjoy a better quality of life: ‘€œThey are in a well accepted environment. The stress is gone and everybody understands them so that’€™s why they keep going.’€