When their mother died, life was looking bleak for 9-year-old Muniyandi and 7-year-old Santoshkumar. Their father had spent all his savings on medical expenses, had lost his home and was – along with his two sons – suffering himself from ill health.

Neighbours helped the three to get to a national hospital, where blood tests confirmed that they were HIV+. Their father was penniless, ill and unable to provide the care and support the two boys needed.

Reaching the Unreached steps in

In May 2016, Jeevan Jyothi Hospice referred Muniyandi and Santoshkumar to Reaching the Unreached. Welcomed into a new family in Sirumalar Children's Village, the boys were soon benefiting from their foster mother's nutritious meals, care and love.

Meanwhile, they were signed up at Theni Medical College Hospital to start getting the treatment they needed. At Sirumalar, the boys are among other HIV+ children and cared for by foster mothers specially trained to look after their particular needs. 

Today the boys are popular members of their new family and community, friends with everyone and always smiling. But they haven't forgotten their father, who visits Muniyandi and Santoshkumar in their new home every month despite his own worsening health.

His future may be uncertain but, as his condition declines, his two joyful sons are getting the love, care and support they need thanks to the generosity of Reaching the Unreached's supporters. Their health improves as they bond with their new family and prepare for a life that seemed far from possible less than two years ago.

Read more about how our Children's Villages provide a safety net for those who need it most, like Muniyandi and Santoshkumar.

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