HIV/AIDS Children’s Home

Context

In 2002, the district HIV/AIDS officer in charge, recognizing the severity of the HIV/AIDS problem in the district, called for and continued to thrust for HIV/AIDS care. He was very impressed by our service to leprosy patients and stated, “At that time, when leprosy patients were rejected, you took care of them. Now, in such a situation, if you do not take care of people living with HIV/AIDS, who will take care of them?” Recognizing the needs of the time, we responded to the request of the Government of Andhra Pradesh and on 15 August 2002, an assistance and support center for HIV/AIDS patients was opened. The aim of the Center was to treat opportunistic infections (OI) suffered from HIV/AIDS. It is through this service that we became aware of the problem of affected and infected children. When parents die, children are left orphans. Often grandparents who needed care are left with young children to look after. We have seen many stories of children left alone.

Description

The plight of guiltless children has moved our hearts. The care and support of children was the urgency of the time. The assistance service began on 18 December 2005, thanks to the support of the Government through the APSACS (Andhra Pradesh State AIDS Control Society). Facilities were very limited. There was only one room (of the leprosy center), which served as a dormitory, dining room, study room, etc.In 2009, the Congregation, with the help of Italian benefactors, built a house with bedrooms and separate toilets for boys and girls, study room, dining room, medical room, counseling room to accommodate orphan children and semi orphans. The center takes its name from Sister Seline, a doctor and pioneer in this field, who unfortunately died in a car accident in 2006. 

The PURPOSE and objective of the Children’s Home is to provide holistic care to HIV/AIDS orphans and semi-orphans by:

• •         Education support
  •         Nutritional support
  •         Medical care
  •         Psychological social support
  •         Social security and settlement in life. 

Preventive

At present, 32 children live in the center. Six are (2 male and 4 female) in hostels elsewhere for studies and 32 others are away either for work or with relatives but have been followed by us for maintenance and medical care.

Around 45-50 thousand euros per year is needed to run the center.