Abstract

FANE, Ts'otleho; RAMUGONDO, Elelwani; LESHOELE, Mamosa  and  COKER, Ian. The value of beadwork for women living with HIV/AIDS. S. Afr. j. occup. ther. [online]. 2010, vol.40, n.2, pp.5-10. ISSN 2310-3833.

Prejudice and stigma against people living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa often mean that people infected with HIV are excluded from formal employment. Women, who experience the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa¹ and the highest incidence rate in South Africa², also in many cases, have to look after families as single parents. As a result of this, women living with HIV/AIDS often become part of the informal sector, earning income through crafts such as beadwork. This qualitative study explored the way in which women living with HIV/AIDS experience beading as an income generating occupation within the Positive Beadwork Project (PBP), an initiative of the Kidzpositive Family Fund. Five women were interviewed using both in-depth individual interviews and focus groups. Seven themes emerged from the data: Guaranteed income; Skill development; Beadwork sparks creativity; Sharing and support; Fulfilment of roles; Beadwork is challenging and Lack of community support.

Keywords : Beadwork; HIV/AIDS; occupation; and income generation.

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