HIV / AIDS

Case Study
(Copyright: Save the Children India)

Name: Praveen & Suryakala
Age: 15 & 12 Years
Village – Kurudi
Mandal – Dumbriguda

Kurudi village is situated about 10 km from Arakuvalley, the project field office. In this remote village a women named Bathula Usha Kumari living with her two children and her mother in law. Her husband passed away nearly 6 years back due to HIV & AIDS. The responsibility of the whole family came on her shoulder and she has to work more time to run her family and to take care of children. After some times she realizes that she is getting weak in work and to take care of her children. Through a voluntary educator she came to NATURE, the partner NGO and explained all the symptoms and about her weakness. With the support from the project she undergone for counseling services and later sent for the health check-up in VCCTC in Arakuvalley CHC. After the test she was declared HIV+. After 6 months Praveen was also suffered with skin allergies and fever. The ongoing Save the Children supported project ‘Sankalpam’ referred him to VCCTC and he was also confirmed as HIV+. His mother was then sent to KGH hospital, Vizag for the CD4 Count and given ARV drug. By knowing the fact of being HIV+, the family was discriminated by the community. Later Praveen’s mother got so weak resulted in no work and no income in the family, which further leads to the dropout of her children from the school.

(Copyright: Save the Children India)

With the effort of the project, TFD (Theatre For Devlopment) performances were conducted to generate awareness and reduce the stigma and discrimination and roots of transmission of HIV/AIDS. The Children Club members were also sensitized to raise awareness of HIV & AIDS in community level meeting and household visits. The community then realized and started extending support to the family. On April 2006 Praveen’s mother died. Their grand mother then raised the two children.

Then the real difficulties started in this two children’s life. Their studies were discontinued and were forced to engaged in the household activities, as their grandmother was very old and not able to do any works. Due to the heavy financial problems the Praveen forced to do his father’s business by selling small items like biscuits, chocolates, etc. in local markets in different places of Arakuvalley area.

Along with CBO’s the children group members in the Kurudi village visited this family and talked several times to children about the rejoining of these children into schools. Each family of the village and community as a whole also extended livelihood support and other help to this family. The CPC then requested NATURE to support these children because Praveen was suffering HIV infection and he needs medical care and nutritious food. They also submitted letter to Sub collector of Paderu ITDA (Integrated Tribal Development Agency). As a result of the project effort and considering Praveen’s condition he is regularly taking ARV medicine from KGH (King George Hospital), Visakapatnam and presently studying in 10th standard. His sister, Suryakala, who is also a member of Child Club, is also rejoined in APR (Andra Pradesh Residential) school in Arakuvalley and studying in standard 6th. Their grandmother is also died and now CPC members is taking care of these two children and provides necessary support regularly whenever they come to village on vacations.

"We believe that children have the right to information and services to help them avoid HIV.

Children and young people are at the forefront of the HIV and AIDS epidemic today.

The HIV epidemic in India is creating a new class of children who need care and support; these are children orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS.

Usually when we talk of this epidemic we do not look at children separately. The number of children who are positive and affected by HIV and AIDS, including those who have to head households, care for infected parents and siblings and lose their education and childhood, is rapidly increasing. In India, as per latest National AIDS Control Organisation (2007) estimates there are 70,000 children under the age of 15 living with HIV/AIDS and a rapidly increasing number of children orphaned or affected by AIDS.

Children have the right to love, care, affection and protection against exploitation. Providing care and support for those who are infected results in realization of protecting their rights – which is enshrined in India’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Vital Statistics

Every year more than 23,000 children are infected by mother to child transmission of HIV.
India has an adult prevalence 2.3 million HIV positive individuals. Although the proportion of people living with HIV in India is lower than previously estimated, the epidemic continues to affect large numbers of people (2 million-3.1 million in 2006). – Source – UNAIDS epidemic report 2007
Nearly 33% of the reported AIDS cases till June 2005 were in the 15-29 years age group. Very young adolescents are especially vulnerable to HIV infection because of their lack of correct information and life skills and their behaviour of experimentation. In India there are about 315 million young people in the age group of 10-24 years accounting for one third of the country’s population. HIV and AIDS affect young people disproportionately.

Save the Children’s objective

To improve the quality of lives of children and their families by mitigating the impact of HIV and AIDS through an integrated continuum of health and social support services accessible to the children and families.