International Memory Project (IMP)

This project is premised on the notion that communicating with children who are affected in some way by HIV/AIDS is key to helping them cope with their emotional and physical situation. IMP involves interpersonal communication centred around women as core - equipping mothers with the skills to communicate about HIV and eventually disclose their positive status to their children in order to give families time to talk about the various issues that arise with an HIV-positive family member.

To this end, organisers have been trained and supported in how to help people communicate with each other and disclose HIV status; they in turn train staff and volunteers to work with groups of parents and children to carry out memory work. Organisers have worked to integrate this type of communication-centred memory work into existing HIV/AIDS programmes of the partner organisations, at the same time strengthening links with other organisations that can help support memory work. They have mapped information resources on memory work, child-centred approaches, and psychosocial support in the context of HIV/AIDS, and have developed activities to sensitise communities on memory work. They have introduced memory work to community groups, parent groups, and groups of children and young people, developing a manual to support trainers who are interacting with these groups. With an eye toward sharing experiences and documenting impact, they have designed tools and approaches for monitoring and evaluating memory work activities.

The memory book is one part of this work, and is envisioned as a simple tool that can support children by bolstering their sense of identity and by facilitating communication within the family and wider community. The content of a memory book is created by the individual (or family) writing it and can contain various memories and information, including that related to the health of family members which can assist in communication around disclosing a family member's HIV status to a child. (Please visit the Healthlink Worldwide website for access to this and other resources related to memory work.)

Children, HIV/AIDS.

Organisers explain that memory work is a creative response to the impact of the HIV epidemic on children, particularly children who face being orphaned. Memory work is an example of a child-centred approach; it involves children in decision making processes in a way that is appropriate for their age and stage of development. Organisers explain that, in sub-Saharan Africa, as a result of the stigma associated with HIV and AIDS, many parents find it difficult to talk about these issues with their children, and children often find themselves excluded from discussions and decision making about the family's future. According to organisers, when children are allowed to share family problems, however, they start to be able to cope with what HIV means for their own family life and future. The idea is that resilience is strengthened when there is open communication between children and their parents/guardians, as well as when children are given the opportunity to help others, developing a sense of resourcefulness and self-esteem.