Florine Roche
Daijiworld Media Network - Hyderabad

Hyderbad, Aug 29: It is a common knowledge that orphaned children in our country face all sorts of risks and are vulnerable. HIV disease alone has rendered millions of children orphan in our country in the last two decades. While talking about orphaned children it is not easy to conjure up the plight of HIV positive children who are either orphans or have lost either of their parents to the deadly disease HIV. Known as “AIDS Orphans” most of these children are helpless suffering under the combined onslaught of being HIV positive and being orphans. In addition to this there is always the question of discrimination due to the stigma attached to the disease adding to their emotional distress.

Mercifully, there are a few individuals and institutions which have dedicated their services in the service of such children. “Asha Jyothi” an HIV/AIDS Care and Support Centre is one such NGO which has been engaged in the service of people who are affected with HIV/AIDS and also for the children orphaned by the disease irrespective of caste, creed or religion.

Located in Gajwel Mandal in Medak district of undivided Andhra Pradesh, this is a ministry run by the Divine Word Missionaries (SVD) with an objective to care, share, educate and empower these little lives and help them lead a normal life as much as possible. Established in the year 2006 Asha Jyothi, true to its name, has truly emerged as the ray of hope for the people affected with the disease.

During my recent visit to Hyderabad I had an opportunity to visit this organization and interact with the HIV/AIDS children sheltered at the Arnold Children’s Home run by the SVD Society. The innocent but sprightly faces of these children were enough to give me goose bumps as I tried to realize the mental and physical trauma they must be undergoing for no fault of theirs. The background of each of these children is quite heartrending and the very thought of their future is quite frightening.

Mangalorean SVD priests Fr Alwin Mascarenhas Fr Felix Roche are in charge of this ministry which was founded in 2006 with the objective of providing quality healthcare to the sick and a comprehensive and holistic treatment option for those infected with HIV/AIDS. Fr Alwin Mascarenhas, who hails from St Dominique Church, Miyar in the present Udupi Diocese, is in charge of Asha Jyothi as its Director for the last three years and has been instrumental in giving a humane touch to the services offered to the patients. He says, “Asha Jyothi which has treated more than 5000 patients as inpatients so far has adopted a four-pronged approach. We provide care and support through our hospital, have outreach programmes to create awareness, focus on prevention from parents to children through pre and post test counseling (PPTC) and through our Arnold Children’s Home we provide shelter for the children suffering from HIV/AIDS and orphaned following the death of their parents due to the disease or those who are left only with either of the parents”.

The hospital is run by the SVD Society and thankfully local people are extending their l support to the hospital in whatever little way they can. Since HIV people are easily prone to tuberculosis the hospital has a separate facility to treat patients afflicted with TB.

Fr Alwin says Arnold Children’s Home named after the founder of SVD was started three years ago and shelters about 25 to 30 children on an average. “These children need lot of affection, care, support, counseling and constant monitoring as they suffer for no fault of theirs. Apart from being HIV positive they are troubled by the feeling of insecurity and discrimination that at every step. They make look healthy outwardly but suddenly may fall sick as their immune system is weak. We need to keep an observant eye on them. We give them the feeling of security and sense of belongingness at this home”. All the children are sent to nearby government schools so that they are not deprived of education.

But providing higher education to these children is proving to be quite a task as some colleges refuse to admit them. Fr Alwin says “A HIV positive child faces trauma and fear caused by the loss of parent. There is also discrimination from all the corners. Moreover HIV being a debilitating disease may cause psychological distress among children. Here we try to give them a home-like atmosphere”. Providing nutritious food, clothing, shelter, medicine, care and also supplementary food is quite a challenge for Asha Jyothi and major expenses go towards providing for these basic requirements”. The children also need recreational activities to keep them occupied and in joyous mood.

The kitchen at Arnold Children’s home is managed by elders mainly ladies who are also HIV/AIDS patients and some of them are the single parents of children at Arnold Children’s Home. This job keeps them busy and also they are able to handle the children with benevolence. Fr Felix points out “though most ladies who come to our hospital contacted the disease through their husbands they are not bitter about it. In fact they take care of their husbands with the same love and concern as they outlive their husbands having contacted the disease later”. However, he says such a sentiment is rare among men when it comes to with their HIV positive wives.

While Asha Jyothi goes about its task, it received a major jolt in 2013 when the government withdrew its financial support from all the HIV/AIDs centres in the country. Despite the setback and the daunting task of taking care of so many mouths, it is carrying on the noble task with the same vitality, enthusiasm and commitment. Thankfully, local people and associations like shop keepers, various unions and some organizations have chipped in to some extent. “It has been struggle all along but we will not be disconcerted. We are committed to the mission we have undertaken and will continue with it. We are also confident that we will be able to find resources required to continue the work we have on hand” says a confident Fr Alwin.

Generous help from the public would go a long way in bringing a smile on the faces of these children who need more than our empathy.

Those wishing to contribute can send their contributions to:

A/C Holder : Asha Jyothi
A/C No : 32562649640
Bank : State Bank Of India
Branch: Gajwel Adb, Medak district
IFSC Code : SBIN0006221