Programs

Fertile Ground operates on the belief that every child counts, and that every child deserves a childhood rich with happy memories and positive experiences that they will carry with them throughout their adult life. Providing disenfranchised children with these opportunities, in conjunction with skills training gives them a chance to better manage their illness, reduce the impact of stress on immune function, increase their ability to cope with the difficult and often violent communities they come from, and ultimately stop the cycle of HIV disease transmission through treatment adherence and behaviour change. Children are our greatest treasure and can be the most powerful agents of change, as they grow into adulthood feeling secure, confident, and attentive to themselves in the world.

Residential camps

The Fertile Ground Camp in Cape Town brings people from diverse countries, institutions, communities and backgrounds together, creating an opportunity for participants to overcome differences and foster compassion, understanding and acceptance. At the residential camp, families can find a needed relief from the impact of stress, violence, dis-empowerment and stigma they experience in their communities. In South Africa, young girls and women are particularly vulnerable and significantly affected by domestic violence and abuse. There are insufficient resources and agencies whose efforts address these problems.

Residential camps offer respite from these difficult situations where families can spend five days together sharing knowledge & experiences, which offer release from isolation, despair and fear. The camps are an opportunity to get away from the hardships that youth, families and there communities live with on a daily basis and allow them to share experiences while learning about themselves and obtain a locus of control within their health challenges.

Day camps

• Youth being accepted without judgment
  Families finding the freedom to express and disclose health status

• Participants making new friends and becoming a part of a cross-cultural community

• Maintaining daily medication schedules

• Taking on personal responsibility and participating in healthy activities

• Being part of a great camp family

Outreach to hospitals and clinics

The hospital outreach program includes activities in the waiting area of the outpatient clinics as well as bedside visits to children who are very ill. Under the direction of Robert Shea, the Program Director, trained counselors and students provide fun and engaging activities to children and caregivers to alleviate the anxiety children often experience on their hospital and clinic visits and help keep them engaged in care.

Through the monthly day outings and hospital and clinic outreach activities, we seek to keep camp participants connected to what they have learned about themselves, their communities, and how to take care of their illness through the camps, in addition to reinforcing and adding to their social support.

 Finding space to share

Fun Activities 

 Group discussions and learning

Group Activities