Help Feed 150 Moms & Kids at Nkosi’s Haven

Help Feed My (Extended!) Family at Nkosi’s Haven!

20 years ago, I went to live at Nkosi’s Haven, a home for HIV-infected mothers, their children, and other children infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. I was part of a community of 100+ kids with 30 moms to look after us. We had our own beds, warm clothes in winter (it gets cold in Joburg!), medical care, quality education and three nutritious, delicious meals a day.

10 years ago, thanks to the support of Nkosi’s Haven , I moved to the USA for my undergraduate, then graduate degrees. Today, I live in NYC, doing marketing for a major hospital…

I stay in touch with many people at Nkosi’s Haven, especially my three youngest sisters. I am happy to report that the caring community I was part of is still vibrant. I am not happy to report that the decline in support for HIV/AIDS-related causes around the world means that my sisters, and everybody else at Nkosi’s Haven, don’t have enough food. And the food they do have does not make for a balanced, healthy diet. See, people think that because HIV/AIDS is now, in most cases, a manageable as opposed to terminal illness, the need for financial support is not there. But people infected/affected by HIV/AIDS eat three times a day, just like you and me… and Nkosi’s Haven can’t afford to put enough food on the table to feed them.

My sisters—all the kids at the Haven!—are as driven and ambitious as I was, but it’s hard to stay focused on schoolwork and your future when you’re hungry.

Here’s the good news: because of the difference between the US and SA economies, we can feed all 150 residents at Nkosi’s Haven three meals a day for one year for $100,000. That’s $1.65 per person per meal. We’re talking meat, fish, veggies, fruits, all lovingly prepared by the moms and kids who work in the kitchen—as I did, doing dishes back in the day. That’s the kind of diet we had when I lived at Nkosi’s Haven, and I want my sisters and everybody there to have what I had so they can build a better life for themselves as I did.

This is a campaign where your contribution will show up on the dining room table at Nkosi’s Haven. Please give what you can. On behalf of my family—my sisters and everybody at Nkosi’s Haven—thank you in advance for your generosity.

Andrew Johns

Visit Nkosi's Haven Instagram