Dear friends,

Nkosi’s Haven was formed in 1999 by Gail Johnson, the foster mother of Nkosi Johnson, who at the age 11 made one of the bravest and most moving speeches at the Durban hosted, 13^th International Aids Conference in 2000, and became one of the key symbols of HIV/AIDS activism.  Our mission is to provide a safe and nurturing home environment for mothers, their children and orphans left destitute by HIV/AIDS.

We are not an orphanage

We have created a vibrant and secure village environment in which children are cared for by their “foster” mothers in order to receive the nurturing, values and love that are essential for the development of a child.  Whilst many of these children carry the burden of unspeakable pasts, they are given all the support and care that is needed for them to heal these wounds and to make the transition into a normal adult life.

We are not a hospice where people with HIV/AIDS come to prepare to die

At present there are 182 residents spread across the 2 houses in Berea and the village in Alan Manor, comprising 29 mothers and 153 children, of which approximately half are orphaned.

The following article was written by Laurelle Williams and originally appeared in tame Times on November 29,2011, Johannesburg South Africa.

What started out as a ‘boys bet’ turned out to empower two young girls, Patricia Canon (16) and Nonjabulo Khubani (18), residents of Nkosi Haven Village. On 20 November Patricia crossed the finish line of the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge becoming an instant heroine for the youth and if Nonjabulo had her way, she wouldhave still cycled the race with chicken pox but higher powers said it was a no go. Nonetheless, Nonjabulo is still a victor for putting the effort, commitment and dedication in her preparations.

Are you ready to be Freddie? September 5th 2011 would have been Freddie’s 65th birthday and to mark the occasion, family & friends can join us on Sunday the 4th of September to experience a spectacular tribute to Freddie Mercury and Queen! Joseph Clark is widely known for his incredible interpretations of Queen’s music. Those […]

The Soweto Gospel Choir, multi international award winners, including 2 Grammies and 1 Emmy, performed at Nkosi’s 10^th Memorial service, bringing a magnificent, emotional and dynamic dimension to the service.

Nkosi  Johnson’s 10^th Anniversary Memorial Campaign

1^st June marks the 10^th anniversary of Nkosi  Johnson, the young AIDS activist, who passed away from an AIDS related disease on that day in 2001. Not only did Nkosi  give AIDS a face in Africa, but became a world icon when speaking at the opening ceremony of the 13^th World AIDS Conference in  July 2000. Challenging the then government to roll out ARV’s to pregnant women to prevent the virus being passed onto their unborn children and asking for acceptance of all HIV/AIDS infected people as “we are all the same”.

Nkosi  first made international headlines in 1997 when his foster mother, Gail Johnson, tried to enroll him at a local school.  With no policies in place around the admission of HIV+ children into schools, the ensuing battle  to have him admitted brought to the fore the huge gaps in the health, education and social services  pertaining to care, education and acceptance of HIV+ children in schools.  Nkosi pioneered the Government policy that was launched two years later, giving all infected children the right to education.