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This
is Swathi - one of the many children who have
suffered from the terrible of AIDS. She was the
first child to die from AIDS at RTU. |
This is
Pothumani, who benefits from the AIDS Home Sponsorship
Programme. Read her story in the panel to the right>>> |
| AIDS Programme |
| There is a growing epidemic of AIDS
in this particular part of India, which often leaves
children orphaned, and with nobody to turn to. If
they lose their parents to AIDS, sometimes
neighbours and even family may reject them.
Currently almost all new admissions to RTU are of
children affected by AIDS, and a growing number are
HIV+ themselves - at present over 80. Those in
need receive anti-retroviral drug therapy at a
nearby hospital, and a specialist doctor regularly
visits the Children's Village where they live to
give them check-ups. |
| All these children are
accommodated in the newest children's village,
Sirumalar, which opened in 2005. They are fully
integrated with other children who are not HIV+. The
foster mothers at Sirumalar receive training in how
best to care for them, as well as in understanding
what are the real risks of cross infection (and what
are not). The children get extra food to improve
their resistance to infection |
| AIDS Home
Sponsorship and other support |
| A growing number of AIDS-affected
families in the villages around RTU receive help through
the AIDS Home
Sponsorship Programme. When parents are unable to
work, they often struggle to support their children.
RTU's payments enable the families to stay together
for as long as possible, with the children being
properly fed and attending school. A single
person unable to work receives Rs.500/month - about
£6. A family with 2 children and a parent who
has become bedridden gets Rs.1500.month, which must
be spent on food and other household essentials. |
 When
people discover they are HIV+ many become depressed
and suicide is not uncommon. RTU helps with
personal counselling and training: and also
co-operates with government initiatives to raise
public awareness and understanding about AIDS in
local villages and schools. A support group for HIV+
people meets regularly - as well as just providing
mutual support there is plenty of advice on how best
to maintain good health. And a free meal helps to
make this monthly meeting a highlight for many - "a
day when we can laugh and forget our troubles". |
| Jeevan Jyothi AIDS
Hospice |
| RTU works closely with a
nearby hospice run by the Presentation Sisters which
provides an excellent standard of care for
AIDS-sufferers. Children from RTU are referred there
if they symptoms become bad, and often - but of
course not always - the intensive treatment restores
them so that they can return to Sirumalar and go
back to school with the others. |
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"Pothumani is a 35 year-old
widow with 3 children.
She had a happy life with her husband’s family
until 7 years ago,
when they both found
they were affected with
HIV. They
hid it for some years, but in the end
unsuccessfully: her husband died
a year ago, leaving
Pothumani and their 3 children. During his last
days their family members came to know that he was
suffering from the deadly
disease HIV/AIDS.
Because of the stigma, they
developed a hatred
of her as she brought HIV and
misfortune to the family leading to
her husband's death. His
unmarried brothers feared that if
any bridegroom’s family came
to know about their brother’s death they
might refuse to associate with
the family, so the whole family chased Pothumani and
the 3 children away by
denying her right to the 1
cent of land
(approx 40 sq m) which belongs to
the family. She decided to kill her children and
commit suicide, but
before she did she came to know
about the work of Reaching the Unreached
and Brother James.
RTU immediately provided
her with monthly monetary
assistance of Rs.1000.
RTU's family counsellor
made visits and counselled
the family members. With lot of effort the family
agreed to give over her
share in the land. She
was also provided
with a decent house from RTU's
Rural Housing Programme.
So the whole family
- mother and children - were
saved. Every month
she attends our HIV
review meeting and is functioning
as a message ambassador in her village." |
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