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The Need
Around 2000, HOPE's staff at the TB Sanatarium, Tambaram, Chennai, noticed a growing problem. Families were forsaking children and women due to the fear of HIV/AIDS. They were regarded as potential health hazards, a stigma to the family. Many have been found in the streets and others, in the TB Sanatrium.
Ignorance on HIV is still rampant. People fear to approach patients, the poor and rural people forsake their closest relatives. Patients fall into a depression - afraid about their life, their future and the reaction of their family and friends. A feeling of worthlessness settles in.
HIV does not spread by touch, sharing of food or utensils, or hugging or kissing. With proper food and medicines, the patient's life span can be increased from the current 10 years to 25 years. Patients can regain their self esteem and zest for life when treated with love and respect. Relatives have accepted their HIV infected kin back after being counselled. A family environment give additional years to the AIDS patient's life span.
The AIDS Home of HOPE is a living example for this.
The Home
HOPE Foundation started the AIDS Home of HOPE in June 2001 with the objective of helping abandoned women and children to live a dignigfied life and be reunited with their families. It draws from the concept of “Community-based Care”, endorsed by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO). .....................................................(HOPE's Strategy for Community Care)
The Home is a two- storied building of 1000 sq ft, with all amenities. It has a van for emergencies. It has a Program Coordinator, Staff Nurses, a Cook and a House Keeper to run the affairs. Our Medical Consultant, Health Counselors and Nutritionist make periodic visits for consultation. 18 (number keeps changing) women and children stay in this Home. Most of them are infected. A minority are uninfected children, left with no one after their guardians died of AIDS.
The Residents
The residents are not just beneficiaries but participants in all activities – cleaning, cooking, feeding and administering medicines to the children, basket weaving (as a vocation) or the celebrations. The children go to school.
The AIDS patients here have special nourishment and medical routines. Every two weeks, children are examined by the visiting physicians. Skin allergies, molluscum, scabies and eye infections are referred to specialists. TB infections are treated through the DOTS program. Every six months, the CD4 count is taken for all and low counts are administered the Anti Retro Virus Treatment (ART). HOPE Foundation's staff works continuously to reunite people with their surviving relatives – the best condition possible for the patients to thrive.
The Home has benefited 132 cases - rehabilitated or reunited with their families or assimilated.
How you can Help...
The home incurs a monthly expense of Rs 1,40,000/- You can adopt part or whole of the total budget for a specific period.
