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Friday, March 29 2024
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Vijayapura

Taken care by NGO, HIV-infected orphan children find new home

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Vijayapura: The SSLC examinations concluded only a few days ago which was attended by over 38,000 students in the District. Of them seven HIV infected orphan/single parent students of the district also wrote the exams. These students who have been residing at the hostels offered by Navasanidhya Centre and St. Joseph Care Centre, which has now become a home for orphan or single parent HIV infected children for years.

While Navasanidhya Centre is meant for HIV infected girls, St. Joseph Care Centre is for boys where the children who come from different places are given home, food and education for free. With a total  of 67 students residing in these two centres, this year seven students of the centre attended the SSLC exams and two are facing the PU exams.

“These centres are meant only for HIV infected children who are either orphans or have single parents but are so poor that none of the family members are able to take care of them. We help such children stay with us. We take care of their food, accommodation, medicines and education till their age of 18. After that they are sent to Government hostel in Bengaluru to undergo training to find a job”, said Teyol Machado, the Director of Non Education Society, the NGO which is part of the centres.

He said that the centre has several staff which holds regular meetings in Vijayapura City and other taluks with sex workers and local NGO. During the meeting, the staff comes to know about the children who have got infected by HIV and need help.

“Often it is noticed that the husband who work as migrant worker gets infected by HIV due to unsafe sex while on work away from home. Knowingly or unknowingly, he transmits the infection to his wife. If she gets pregnant even the child gets infected. In later days, either both or single parent die of infection as they do not get good treatment which leaves their children orphaned. We bring such children to the centre and provide required help to lead a better life”, he said.

Stating that the centre provides shelter through Child Welfare Committee shelter only after completing required norms set by the Government, he said that much of their financial help comes from donors.

“Since it is an NGO, we seek donations from the people to take care of these children”, he said.

Asha (name change), one of the students who is living in the centre and attended the SSLC exams recently, said that the centre has been immensely helping children like her. Staying in the centre since eight years, she lost her father while she was an infant and mother when she was five. Native of Almel  Village of Sindagi Taluk, she said that after the death of her parents, she was living with her grandmother. “But she is poor and can’t take care of me. I was brought here by one of the staff, and since then I have been living here. They are taking care of me and several other children like me,” she said. She plans to continue her education and wishes to become a teacher in future.

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Firoz Rozindar

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