Abstract:
This article explores the experiences of fatherless adolescent males affected by HIV, AIDS
and poverty, in order to investigate how these experiences influence the creation of their
alternative, future narratives and if these experiences result in narratives that speak of
marginalisation or instead, will speak of survival. Research methods from the qualitative case
study research design are employed. The theoretical point of departure is a postfoundational
practical theology and narrative therapy. The specific focus is on issues of marginalisation
and to listen to the narratives within their contexts. The article explores and deconstructs the
dominant discourses engrained within the larger socio-economic and cultural context and
questions whether these narratives should be viewed as a story of marginalisation. The article
concludes that it is not a story of marginalisation, but rather a story of survival, a story of hope.
