Simons Story

To the Teacher

Use this story for life skils, health or cultural studies lessons, or as reader in English class. The following key concepts are dealt with:

• Grief brings overwhelming feelings.
• It is all right to have these feelings
• Adults can help children by acknowledging these feelings.
• When you are suffering grief, it helps to let your feelings out and cry.
• It is important to have memories of people who have died and to go back to them.
• It takes time, but the sadness does get better eventually.
• It is all right to have fun even when you are grieving.

Young adults are more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS than anyone else. We should encourage children to develope self-respect and respect for others from an early age.

This is one of the JAWS HIV/AIDS readers developed for primary school learners.The story conveys the subtle psycho-social dimensions of the pandemic affecting learners' lives (personal and social developement). It can be used as a reader, or to help teachers introduce subject matter that is difficult to manage in the classroom.