page_title: Nkosi's Haven
section_title: Berea
hierarchical_section_title: Nkosi's Haven / Nkosi's Haven history / Berea
context_page_description: Nkosi's Haven is an NGO in the Johannesburg, South Africa area that offers residential, holistic care and support for mothers and their children whose lives have been impacted by HIV/AIDS. Nkosi's Haven also provides support for orphans, HIV/AIDS affected or not. It aims to improve the productivity of their residents through providing access to medical care, therapy, education and skill building workshops. The goal is to empower residents while providing a safe, dignified home in hopes that all mothers and children are able to become responsible and contributing members of society.
  Nkosi's Haven was named after Nkosi Johnson, an AIDS activist who dedicated his life to ensuring that mothers and their children are kept together under the belief that no mother should have to leave her child due to HIV diagnosis. It is a recognized non-governmental organization that is largely funded by international donors and governmental organizations. Funding is allocated to assist accommodations, which include housing, food, water, medication, and hospice care. It also assists with education costs such as school fees, uniforms, and other expenditures.
context_section_description: In 1999, Nkosi and Gail opened their first Nkosi's Haven location in Berea, Johannesburg. Despite being close to the city centre, selling properties became increasingly difficult in Berea, with the neighbouring area of Hillbrow beside, as it became an area that was frequented with street children and the unemployed. The 1980s was an era of high crime rates in downtown Johannesburg, which neighboured Hillbrow and Berea. After the apartheid ended in the 1990s, many gangs, along with residents from neighbouring townships, moved into the area making it unsafe. Thus, the property was offered to Gail Johnson, rent free for 5 years.
  The house was located on 23 Mitchell street and consisted of four bedrooms, one bathroom upstairs and one downstairs, a lounge, a room used as a dormitory, and a courtyard. Renovations and repairs were needed, in addition to furniture and basic house necessities. To raise funds for the completion of the house, Gail, a former public relations consultant, held a “kitchen tea” in which a wish list was created and publicized in the media and to those who were potential contributors. At the tea, Gail explained the reasons behind the creation of Nkosi's Haven. She explained that Nkosi's Haven was to offer a kibbutz style of living in which residents would take turns at cooking, cleaning, caring for the children, and helping care for each other as needed. Gail also told the guests that they already reached capacity for residence at the house. At the time, the house fit nine mothers and their children with presumed costs starting at R28,000 monthly. The results of the kitchen tea were successful and Gail managed to fundraise R45,000 worth of furniture and equipment, free electrical services, along with appliances valued at R30,000 for the nursery and dormitory.
  After 3 years in operation, Nkosi's Haven saw need for a second home as the Berea residence was rapidly expanding with mothers and children living with HIV/AIDS and orphans. In 2002, a separate plot of land was purchased south of Johannesburg. Upon development, both residences catered to over 160 residents and their children providing meals, medication, education, daily necessities for residents living with or without HIV/AIDS, and care for orphans.
  Due to financial restraints, in 2012, the NGO sold its property in Berea and moved all occupants to Nkosi's Haven Village in Alan Manor, South of Johannesburg. Costs for operating the Berea house were as much as R150,000 to R180,000 monthly, and because all occupants could be accommodated at the village, consolidating all residents meant that no one was left without a home or unemployed. Given that Nkosi's Haven village had bigger plans in motion, the shift would focus on different things such as training opportunities for residents at the newly purchased farm and other facilities at the Nkosi's Haven Village. These opportunities were unavailable in Berea due to space and financial constraints. Gail reasoned this by stating, “We are not the Titanic. We are consolidating... it makes sense to consolidate and save money.”
caption: The intersection of Pretoria Street and Banket Street in Hillbrow, Johannesburg
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