Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (EP)
Mangaluru, Feb 19: Tabassum, a resident near Konaje here who looks after HIV and AIDs affected children with compassion like a mother is selected for Mangaluru Press Club’s annual award.
The selection committee comprising of Balakrishna Gatty, Dr Vasanth Kumar Perla and Dr Nagaveni Manchi has selected Tabassum for the award which would be presented on February 29.
“The award will be presented to Tabassum in the press club day celebrations that will be held in Urva Radhakrishna Mandira auditorium on February 29,” said Mangaluru Press Club chief secretary Mohammed Arif Moodbidri in a press release.
About Tabassum
HIV / AIDS has become an epidemic that troubles the world. Several people have died of it and many are struggling between life and death. We have also seen innocent children infected by it without any fault of theirs. The work of looking after such children is in progress due to repeated awareness by voluntary organizations and media when they are being treated as untouchables in hospitals. Tabassum looks after such children who have lost their parents and are living like orphans.
Tabassum is the daughter of poor Abdul Samad and Khairunnisa couple living near Konaje. She was ahead in studies during her school and college days. She had the dream to do something big in her life but was unable to get help from her family. She was given away in marriage when she was beginning her degree in education. But she was determined to do something for the society in between her family life. She started ‘Sneha Deep’ organization in 2011 that looks after HIV / AIDS infected children.
She saw her friend dying due to Aids and her children becoming orphans and started the organization that supports HIV / AIDS affected children. She started ‘Sneha Deep’ while serving them.
‘Sneha Deep’, situated near Bejai here has children aged between one and fifteen years that have lost their parents. Tabassum looks after them for the last nine years without expecting anything in return. She remains with those children during the final moments of their lives. There are tearful stories behind each of them. Nineteen such children have died in her hands. Tabassum weeps when she thinks of them. She conducts their last rites according to their religion. She takes care of them without discrimination of caste or religion.
26 children from various districts in the state are in Sneha Deep. Tabassum provides them with education, food, shelter and treatment with her three staff members. The children consider Sneha Deep as their home and Tabassum their mother.
Tabassum runs a shop and she spends whatever she earns from it on Sneha Deep. She also gets monetary help from kind-hearted local people. Sneha Deep functions from a rented place but Tabassum runs it without losing hope during difficulties.