Six paintings by children among 70 Cape Flats pre-schoolers, who are affected by HIV and Aids and who share a cramped two-bedroom home, are to be auctioned on World Aids Day to raise money for a bigger home.
The children of the Masikhulisane Creche are aged between six months and four years and most of them have lost members of their families to Aids-related diseases.
Some are orphans and some are HIV-positive.
The creche, in the Samora Machel settlement in Cape Town, does not have beds or toys for the children.
"All they have are five very thin mattresses that all 70 children have to share," said Kholeka Vryman, one of the three women who run the creche.
"The situation is worse when it's hot like today, because the children become restless and we have nothing to keep them entertained with."
The art auction is the idea of the Aids Resource Centre (ARC), which has stepped in to help the creche.
The art materials were provided by FusionDesign.
"All the art pieces have a theme of HIV and Aids because we want to teach these children about Aids at a young age," said Carmen Lerm, of FusionDesign.
Ntutuzelo Nhlakaza, who is assisting the ARC, said negotiations were under way with the City of Cape Town for a piece of land on which a larger creche and home could be built for the children.
Suitable foster parents were being sought for the children
"We are also concentrating on providing enough anti-retrovirals for the children and some of their parents," said Nhlakaza.
The house was owned by a social worker who had tried to have the home registered so some of the orphans could stay there permanently.
Some of the children had been taken in by people in the community who had offered to care for them until a bigger home was built, Nhlakaza said.
By Zandile Clock, Cape Times, November 6th 2006
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