Buds of Christ

After Priya’s father’s death, her mother started to go for work as a daily wageworker in a snack-manufacturing unit. With the income, the family has been a leadin g a tough life of meeting the family needs and educational needs of the children. In the end of year 2019, Priya studying in 10th was affected by a viral fever in December and was sick for nearly a month. She was hospitalized and then been at home for more than a month and that affected her attendance to school. In addition, due to hearing problem she was not able to attend the classes properly and found the en vironment  ve ry negative. She  was least interested to go to school and a lways found reasons  to be away from school. This worried her mother. At the same time Priya used to enjoy all the group sessions for children at Buds of Christ and always was very active an d regular. This surprised her mother and at the same time made her also feel happier about her daughter’s interest with the group. She was v...

The Corona pandemic is hitting  hard causing fear among the general public. The Strict measures taken up by the government in curtailing the pandemic by strict lock down procedures in safeguarding the people and preventing community transmission so far has been effective. At the same time, the effects of the lock down has been observed in the families and children reached through Buds of Christ. Majority of the children’s caretakers are daily wage workers whose income manages the family’s nutritional needs. Now with the lock down affecting their nutritional requirements, as the children and caretakers who are mostly widow women living are already immune compromised due to HIV, keeping them healthy is important in this pandemic period. So at Buds of Christ in addition to creating awareness of the Covid-19 to the children, caretakers and young people living with HIV; emergency nutritional supplies were facilitated to more than 75 families during the last week of March and ...

Yes it’s another little star group of children coming together to learn and to also share their love with each other. These children are children living with HIV who are below 14 years and are on treatment. As most of them belong to the poor economic condition and their care takers are not educated, the information about their health and treatment is less among them and often result in casual attitude towards treatment. It is through the Little Stars support group meeting, the information is shared to the children so that they adopt positive living. In addition, these meetings also help them to experience the love of their peers more freely without the fear of stigma and discrimination. The sessions are planned to include health related topic, life skills session and a value based education. Different techniques are used to engage the children and also help them learn information faster. The little stars is organised every month at Tiruchengode and Salem that includ...

Latha is an orphan girl child, looked after by her widowed mother. She is now doing her post graduate in clinical nutrition. She belongs to rural village area in Namakkal and from a dis-advantaged community. It is a common culture in her community that once girl attains puberty, they get her married off. When she was 14 years old, proposals came for her, but her mother was very firm in not getting her married. Though she had been ridiculed for the decision, she stood very firm that she will have her daughter educated as she realized the importance of education and had approached Buds of Christ, when Latha was in 8 th  standard. She has been receiving support with books and uniform during her schooling and currently for her college, the course f ees, books and bags are supported. Anu and Seetha are two orphan girls studying in the primary classes and under the care of their grandparents. Their father deserted them and their mother died when they were very small. Their grand...