Helping Kids of AIDS Victim

Helping Kids of AIDS Victim

AIDS comes with a baggage of social discrimination. Not only does the patient have to live in guilt and neglect as they are denied proper treatment and care, but even their families have to suffer the scourge of AIDS. For AIDS patients most often leave behind a family that is in no position to fend for itself economically or emotionally.

Probably the worst affected are children, as AIDS is taking its toll on not just the male member, but also his wife who gets infected by the husband.

The result? "Orphans'' says Father Felix, Director, Sarva Seva Sangh. AIDS Support Group With no one to care for such orphans, SSS has undertaken the task of providing shelter to them.

Says Felix, "Since we do not want to label them as children of HIV positive parents, as that too can have severe repercussions on them, we put them in various hostels in the city. Even their classmates are unaware of their family's HIV status, so that these children can get some chance of living a normal life.''

It is not necessary that a child be an orphan to avail of this service. Says Felix, "Even if one parent is HIV positive, we take the child in, because often when the father falls ill, the family income is reduced to nil. Besides, it becomes very hard for children to live with the stigma of HIV.''

As of now SSS has helped 52 such children whose parents are HIV positive. These children live as boarders in various schools in Pune. All their needs for education, food, clothes is looked after by SSS. Any queries, any help required by families of AIDS infected persons can be directed to Father Felix who will be only to happy to offer support. His address is: sss@pn2.vsnl.net.in

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