What about children?- World AIDS Day message by Buds of Christ - 2011



HIV was first identified in Chennai, India in 1986. 25 years of HIV in Tamilnadu have caused severe impact on many individuals and families and the worst affected are  children. Around two lakh people living with HIV have registered for treatment services in Government hospitals throughout Tamilnadu. Among this around 10000 are children living with HIV. Thanks to Treatment and diagnostic services and access to the same that have helped the Govt identify and provide appropriate care to those affected by HIV and AIDS.

But there are very few efforts that have gone in making a difference to the lives of children affected by HIV. Commemoration of World AIDS Day has become a one day event where the entire world remembers and talks about HIV. But  the concerns and needs around care and support of thousands of children living with HIV and their siblings remain unaddressed ?

Currently in Tamilnadu ,children are benefitted through two programs from the government, one providing ART medicines to children living with HIV and one time annual education support to children living with HIV who are double orphaned (loss of both parents).

Some of the rising issues that calls for concern are:

  • Advancements in research has offered medications that has enabled many children living with HIV pass through adolescence and even become adults, as we take pride in that, we also need to reflect whether we have supported the children to handle peer-pressure, educated them on sexual and reproductive health, marriage and future planning.
  • The issue of bride price is emerging among children who have crossed 18 years and they are offered in marriage to an aged person. Recently a 18 year old girl living with HIV was offered 3 lakhs as deposit to her mother and uncle to marry a 40 year old HIV positive adult.
  • Child marriages are common among affected young girls(girls are not HIV infected),especially those under the care of aged grandparents and realtives.
  • Adolescent children living with HIV are not adhering to drugs with lack of skills in coping with the status and even negative pressures from the family and community.
  • Both infected and affected boys are stopping school and getting engaged in cheap labour to support the family income

It calls for an attention to create a child centric model that is principled to love, listen, learn and lead adolescent children as it’s approach to build  the lives of the children to effectively tackle the challenges and set futuristic goals so as to live positively. Will the government and concerned stakeholders wake up to this call??

Popular posts from this blog

Confidence Building Camp for Orphan Adolescents

Image
What is Buds N Colors Camp? Buds N Colors camp is for adolescent children orphaned and affected by HIV and AIDS in the HIV high prevalent Namakkal district in Tamilnadu. The aim of this camp is to share love, build hope and strengthen faith to live life with dignity and courage. Why this camp? Adolescents living with HIV find it hard to set higher goals due to the fear that dominates their emotions. HIV has affected their self –image causing a severe low self esteem. Our experiences from the previous camp have shown, given a space for the adolescents, they emerge as leaders of hope and change for others like them. Who are the participants at Buds N Colors Camp? This camp is exclusively for adolescent children who have lost one or both parents to HIV and AIDS in the age group of 12 to 18 years. Around 40 adolescent children will participate in this camp What is the uniqueness of the camp? This camp provides opportunity for creating peer buddies among
Read more

Nothing is impossible for those that BELIEVE – Bharathi has scored 408 in 10th public exams amidst difficult circumstances

Image
It is another joyous moment to share that our children have excelled in their 10 th public exams and going beyond the limitations and challenges once again. The experiences of these children, especially widow headed households face the pressures of early marriages; or stopping education and sent for work to support the family income. In addition if they are the most backward caste in the community, they are often discriminated by other members in the community. Bharathi has put her dream path, possible challenges and how she would overcome them  Bharathi is from the most backward community and living with her widowed mother. She has one elder sister who eloped and got married to a boy from the neighbouring village. Bearing the stigma of run-away sister, widowed mother’s daughter and the caste discrimination, along with severe power cuts that lasted up to 12 hours in a day, Bharathi as young as 14 years took these obstacles as milestones to prove her capacity and bring a grea
Read more

Educating Children Enabling Independence

Image
“Education is for improving the lives of other and for leaving our community and world better than we found it.” Buds of Christ organised Education support program for boys and girls on 7 October 2021. 16 children from class 9 th to 12 th participated and received school bags and notebooks.   The event started with a moral story on Being Focussed on the Vision for life shared by Mr. Jeyapaul Director of Buds of Christ. Following that Communication skill was taught to children as part of Life Skills Education.   The reason for Buds of Christ to enhance the skills of children on Life skills goes with the quote that “Education is not just about going to school and getting a degree. It’s about widening our knowledge and absorbing the truth about life".   This was followed by life experience sharing by the Program Chief Guest Ms. Kaleeswari, Commercial Assistant from TamilNadu Electricity Board.   She shared her life history and motivated the children to be eager for studies. She also
Read more