Meet two NGOs that have been instrumental in nurturing and providing health care to HIV infected children
Happy, chirpy and full of life-that's how the children at Desire Society can be described, when we visited their center. This Goregaon-based NGO, spread out in five cities, takes care of children that are affected by HIV as well as kids (not infected) but whose parents suffer from the disease. Supriya Ahire from Desire Society, says, "At the Mumbai center, Desire Society takes care of 30 kids of whom 6 have tested HIV negative. The parents of these 6 children suffer from AIDS and can't take care of their children anymore due to deteriorating health. So, we have taken them under our wings."
These children are mostly abandoned by parents as they can't take care of them, or relatives of children whose parents have died of AIDS where relatives refuse to look after them. Desire Society provides these children in Hyderabad (80 kids) Bengaluru (35 kids), Delhi (30 kids) and Vishakhapatnam (30 kids) — shelter, nutrition, health care and most importantly, a feeling of belongingness. Isolation and exclusion is something that AIDS affected people commonly face.
Sara D'Mello, Founder and Managing Trustee of Committed Communities Development Trust (CCDT) thinks that social stigma still prevails in the society and though there is a minor shift in the way society looks at HIV infected people, a remarkable change is paramount. She elucidates, "People infected feel isolated and we at CCDT believe in showing people that there is life in spite of AIDS. If you are infected and your kids are infected, that doesn't mean that life comes to a full stop."
CCDT, that has been working since 1995 has come a long a way and has four centers across Maharashtra. Ashray center (Bandra, Mumbai) takes care of boys and girls above 12 years, Ankur Asmita center (Badlapur) takes care of girls above 12 years, Aakar center (Khandala) takes care of boys above 12 years and Umang center (Mahalaxmi, Mumbai) takes care of college going boys above 17 years.
The most vital part that both these NGOs feel is the need for family support, which is difficult most times. During the summer vacations, certain kids from Desire Society' Mumbai are sent home or to relatives for two days. Ahire adds, "It is important that they get a feel of home and being part of a family. But these are few kids as most families or relatives refuse to even see them."
This is what CCDT has been relentlessly trying to work -reintegrating these kids through their Residential Care Program. "We firmly believe in a 'child's right to have a family'. This is the reason that even while the kids stay at the centers, we constantly work on reintegrating them with the family," shared Dr Guirish Ambe, CEO, CCDT.
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