Caring for People Affected by HIV & AIDS in Nepal

AIDSLink Nepal organised a Christmas function in one of the remote districts they work in. It was attended by 20 Children, 16 women and 6 men. It was for the families who are a part of the “keep a child in school” and HIV support group programmes that AIDSLink runs.

It was great to see the children and families enjoying themselves and performing music and dance items. The team gave a Christmas gift to every person and everyone ate together. They shared with them about how to care for their health and life style. Self-care (and care for the family) is something that the team emphasizes with everyone they work with.

One of the ladies who attended reflected:

“It was a great opportunity to participate in the year end function that AIDSLink Nepal organised. Many times, when they organise such functions, I am busy with my work and other things. But this time when I got the invitation I was very happy, I really wanted to attend to support my children and meet new people.

“My children were very happy and excited to hear that I was joining them. From the programme I’ve learnt that we need to make sure that we get some refreshment time with our families and friends.

"I also got an opportunity to make new friends and we got to know each other and were able share our stories. Even though life is busy it is important to go out and get to know people. This was an unforgettable event in my life.”

Those who attend such events are often isolated, it is hard for us to convey just how much they mean to them. Meeting other people in similar situations and who are living with HIV is a lifeline. Thank-you for being a part of making such events possible.

We continue to see the significance of the work of AIDSLink in Nepal. In the past few months, AIDSLink Nepal provided services to 50 new and more than 230 current clients at the Care Center. They continued to help clients with hospital visits and make home visits. AIDSLink Nepal was also able to provide scholarships for over 70 children. The team continue to do HIV awareness programs around the country, some of the places they visit take days of travel.

One of the people who stayed at the Care Center in Kathmandu shared her story.

I am 47 years old and come from Sindhupalchock. I lost my husband 12 years ago and I have three children. I came with my children to Kathmandu to do an HIV test. The test told me that I am HIV positive. I was feeling very discouraged with fears for my life.

I needed to go to the hospital to get medicine. During this time, I went for counseling about HIV, but I couldn’t understand what they were saying to me, then the counselor called an AIDSLink Nepal staff member. The AIDSLink Nepal staff member started to do counseling with to me and shared their story of living with HIV, after that I was able to understand. 

The AIDSLink Nepal team helped to me understand a lot of things, like the lab tests, CD4 count and the doctor’s checkup. I started taking HIV treatment and stayed at the Care Center for a while before returning home. This was a good opportunity to learn more about HIV and AIDS. I would like to say thank you so much to the team for the good service they gave to me. I plan keep in a continuous relationship with them.