Khululeka Grief Support marks two decades of helping children heal

Beneficiaries, donors, and government officials attended the 20th anniversary of the Khululeka Grief Support organisation held in Bishopscourt on Wednesday, November 5.

The Claremont-based non-profit was founded in 2005 in response to the HIV pandemic to support the many children and teens who had lost their parents. The organisation was started by six women, Heather Ferris, Rosemary Frith, Brendah Gaine, Lucille Lückhoff, Nontobeko Moni and Gail Smith. These women collectively brought their experience from a range of disciplines, including social work, child psychology, palliative care, community child care work, nursing, and education.

Khululeka has an excellent track record working in schools and directly with at-risk children and adolescents in the form of grief support groups, holiday clubs, and individual counselling and referrals. One of their biggest partners is the provincial Department of Social Development (DSD), which has adopted the Khululeka model of peer Grief Support Groups as an efficient and effective approach to assist Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs).

Khululeka beneficiary, Siphosethu Simama, 23, received grief support from this organisation when she was 14 after experiencing the loss of her brother.

“Before meeting Khululeka, I was still feeling confused as I did not know how to deal with my brother’s death and had nobody to talk to,” she said.

Ms Simama, who went to Silversands High School at the time, said that Khululeka helped her in working through her grief and her emotions.

“They made me feel that my feelings are valid and it is ok to be heard and to find acceptance that my brother is no longer with us,” she said. She still maintains a strong relationship with the organisation, where she became a youth ambassador as a young adult while studying, and has recently completed her Public Relations and Communications degree at the University of Johannesburg.

Provincial director of children and family for the department of social development, Thembekile Kwakwini, said that Khululeka was founded so that no child or family should have to face loss, trauma, or grief.

“Through your dedication, thousands of children have found their voices, families have healed, educators have been supported, and communities have been strengthened,” he said.

Mr Kwakwini said his organisation's partnership with Khululeka is built on mutual trust. “It promotes accountability and mutual vision that every child grows up in a safe and assured family environment,” he said. 

Khululeka Director, Wendy Lessing, said as her organisation grew, they could reaffirm that what they are doing works.

“It works in our classrooms and communities, and works in our counseling rooms,” she said.

Ms Lessing said her organisation has evolved over the past 20 years to make a broader commitment to heal trauma affecting children, and at the heart of their workers is the belief that mental health matters.

“Every child deserves support to restore their hope,” she said.

For more information visit Khululeka.