“Care & Support for orphan children and widows affected/infected with HIV/AIDS-Gujarat-India”: - Mediaid Foundation

Introduction:

The world has been living with HIV/AIDS for many many years, yet the pandemic continues to spread by widespread ignorance about HIV/AIDS. Due to a cultural framework of countries like India and many others, an affected individual or family suffers isolation and discrimination at various levels.

Just imagine that if the main breadwinner dies to AIDS, a mother left too ill to care for her children and too poor to afford medical care. Moreover, social stigma and discrimination in relation to HIV/AIDS means they suffer alone and in silence. Many of your own family members, friends and organisations, who have a responsibility of care and love, walk away. Not only physical but emotionally, it is a very difficult and helpless situation to be in.

Background:

India today is home to the largest number of HIV/AIDS orphans in the world and second only to South Africa in the number of people living with HIV/AIDS. Many are unaware that they are even infected. The HIV/AIDS epidemic in India is increasing and affecting all sections of the communities regardless of their faith and cultural background. The escalating HIV/AIDS crisis is leaving an unprecedented number of children orphaned with very little or no adult protection and care.

Hundreds and thousands of families in India that have lost breadwinners to HIV/AIDS are stuck in severe poverty cycles where children lack access to proper healthcare, education, food and shelter. MAF/ILM/MWF and its partner organisations fight poverty by empowering these children, especially orphan children and widows, through free quality shelter, healthy nutrition, quality healthcare, education and other basic needs to survive with dignity and honour.

Losing a parent is terrible for any child, but children living in India who lose parents to HIV/AIDS face unthinkable hardship. Not only did they watch their parents die with great misery, but they are stigmatised for having been associated with HIV/AIDS and are often forced to fend for themselves and their siblings. The result is that a growing number of helpless children are facing a vicious cycle of poverty, abuse, neglect, malnutrition, disease, vulnerability and often end up on the street.

What we do for Orphaned Children and Widows:

• A place to call Home – Eliminating the feeling of loneliness and desertion, providing age-appropriate counselling
• Free Quality Education – So that they become empowered through education and become self-sufficient
• Quality Food and Necessary Health Care with Love and Respect – The children are provided with a well balanced and nutritious diet. Any healthcare issues or any opportunistic infections are treated well and on time
• Training and Developing Skills – The widows/children are trained in many lifelong learning fields i.e. confidence building, general knowledge, sewing, making handicrafts, sports, other outdoor activities, extra curriculum activities, English learning, writing poetry competitions etc. to ensure that they are able to compete and become capable of surviving with dignity and honour
• Our project ensures – All orphaned children get proper accommodation, education, healthy food, necessary treatment with appropriate emotional and psychological support, care and love that they need.

Collective Approach:

ILM/MWF/MAF-UK is working with the Gujarat State Network of People living with HIV/AIDS (GSNP+) and other NGOs in Gujarat-India. We are already providing services to improve quality of life for more than 500 people living with HIV (PLHIV). We are advocating issues of PLHIV at a State level and working at a district level through 25 district level networks in Gujarat-India.

Donation options:

Sponsor or Support a child with a widow for one year     

Sponsor or Support a child for one year                                 

HIV/AIDS Awareness, Training, Conferences

and related activities for one year

(six sessions, one multifaith conference per year)                              

                                               

Your kind donation will help us to provide good quality accommodation, food, education and healthcare to a child or a widow that are living with HIV/AIDS. We ensure that we provide our services with love, care and respect they deserve regardless of their faith, culture and background.

“Don’t let them walk alone. Let’s walk with them”