Women's stories: Alice Searle and HIV in South Africa

In the second of her stories to celebrate International Women's Day, Amy Merone talks to Alice Searle about her 'pin project' - an idea that changed her life, and the lives of grandmothers and children in a South African township affected by the HIV virus.

Alice Searle and friends. ''Initially the grannies just stared at me. I think they thought I was mad but gradually, as I showed them the pins and asked if they could make them, they came round to the idea.'' Alice Searle: ''I've never wanted to just sit down and watch television.'' ''The project is dominated by women. All of the staff are women, as are most of our supporters.''

Seven years ago Alice Searle went to live and work in South Africa as a volunteer with VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas). It was while she was working as a teacher at the University of Zululand that she realised nobody would talk about the HIV epidemic devastating the country.

Determined to do something, Alice asked her students to take her into the surrounding townships so that she could speak to the young people most affected by the virus and draw up educational materials to help them learn about HIV/AIDS.

Alice's primary concern was for the children affected by the HIV epidemic, but she says that the 'pin project' that developed, almost by accident, suddenly became a way of helping the children and their families in the townships.

"The pins depict the red ribbon worn in support of Aids sufferers," Alice explains. "They are made from small beads in the style of a traditional Zulu love letter. I came across them in South Africa and, when I brought them home, friends of mine wanted to know if they could buy them. I suddenly thought that the project could be a way of raising funds for children whose lives had been affected by HIV."

Alice returned to townships of Kwa Zulu Natal, where she approached grandmothers who were caring for grandchildren orphaned by the epidemic.

"Initially the grannies just stared at me. I think they thought I was mad but gradually, as I showed them the pins and asked if they could make them, they came round to the idea. They have now made over 12,000 pins, which I sell in the UK and all the money raised goes towards the cost of food, clothes and schooling for the children. It has been fantastic."

Kwa Zulu Natal has the highest incidence of HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa, with 30 per cent of the population aged between 15 and 49 infected. The pin project has helped to create income-generating work for the women in the townships, as well as providing desperately needed education for young people most at risk of contracting the virus.

Alice now spends half of the year living and working in Kwa Zulu Natal with the people in the townships, and the other half of the year travelling up and down the UK selling pins to people. She says that the project has helped to give the women a sense of responsibility and control.

"The project is dominated by women. All of the staff are women, as are most of our supporters. HIV affects more women than men and women are most likely to nurse sick relatives and friends dying of the disease. Many of the grandmothers still refuse to talk openly about HIV because of the stigma it creates, but they are so much more aware of it now."

Alice says that the project brings hope to people where before there may have been none. "There are two boys in the township who lost their mother to AIDS. The eldest boy, Nkosi, is now our youth worker. His brother, 'little Nkosi', is HIV positive but is now on anti-retroviral treatment, which brings us hope.

"I've never wanted to just sit down and watch television. I've always wanted to do something worthwhile and fulfilling and this is. It's wonderful."