Overcoming challenges by building SELF WORTH


Adolescent period is the most crucial period in one’s development. Lack of support and guidance makes many adolescents, both boys and girls vulnerable to make decisions that heavily impact their lives. In our work with adolescent children living with HIV, we have observed that they become poor adherers to treatment against HIV (ARV treatment). Most of them have started treatment at a very early age, but when they cross their puberty, most develop lack of interest and responsibility in taking treatment. This has resulted many adolescents contract other opportunistic infections very easily. In addition they show poor interest in studies.

Recently on closely observing the conditions of young people and interacting with them personally, it was found, the HIV status has developed fear and lack of interest over their future. This has brought in very low self esteem among the adolescents that they take decisions of not taking medication hoping for earlier death. This is uniform among both boys and girls. Close follow-up, frequent confident building session, providing platforms for the adolescents to be influencers of change for other young children has encouraged few to accept their status positively and even have encouraged them to be more responsible on treatment.

One such child is Malini, now studying 11th standard. She is looked after by her widowed mother and both are taking treatment in the government hospital in Namakkal district. Situations at home and casual interactions of her relatives over her status and future had resulted in losing hope about her future. This made her decide to be casual on treatment. But when she was appreciated and supported by friends from similar background through the support group (Vetri Kootam), she is now able to accept her status and even love herself. This change has encouraged her to be regular on medications and also support other orphan and semi-orphan children who are on treatment through peer counseling.
We believe that through the Vetri kootam initiative many more Malini’s emerge with positive hope in their lives and become influencers of change for other children.

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 ...
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 stu...
Read more