Project Report
| Oct 14, 2014
Celebrating Birthday and Cake cutting makes Hospital more child-friendly
By Jeyapaul | Director, Operations
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Kavi (10 years) and her sibling brother (13 years) went out of the hospital with a cheerful heart. It was Kavi’s birthday and she and her brother had come to collect their monthly medicines ART, at Government Hospital.
As part of the Little Stars group at the hospital, they attended today’s session on personal hygiene. After actively participating in the session, Kavi was one of the two who enjoyed the sweet surprise of cutting birthday cake at the hospital. Kavi expressed “Today is the most happiest day in my life, because it has been the first time experience in my life in cutting the cake”. Kavi and her brother lost both their parents to AIDS when they were very small.
The Little Stars Support Group Meeting is part of Buds of Christ initiative in partnership with health department of Govt in helping children living with HIV, be comfortable in accessing the hospital and making it more child friendly; and the birthday cake cutting was initiated and supported by the staff of the ART center.
Buds of Christ’s reason for existence is to empower children affected by HIV and AIDS to live life with dignity and support them to emerge as children of hope of courage to their peers.
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Aug 8, 2014
Support Groups: Helping children realize that they are NOT ALONE
By Mary Julie | Director, Programs
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On 12th July 2014, the support group for small children (5-12 years) was started at Tiruchengode Government Hospital premises. The primary purpose of this support group for children is to help children cope up with their HIV illness, make friends who are living with HIV and to support themselves in adhering to medicines and treatment.
The care takers of these children are mostly grand-parents or widowed mothers who are less educated that makes the condition more vulnerable for smaller children not understanding the purpose of being healthy. So the support group involves play-way method with children to feel more comfortable with the environment and communicate better about their health condition with the hospital team.
In the first group, we had 8 children who are HIV positive. The youngest was a 4 year old boy who is studying Kinder Garden. There was a girl thirteen years who has not gone to school for the last two years due to ill-health condition. In the first meeting, introductory games were introduced so that the young children know each other better. The counsellor of the ART center also got involved along with few care takers which made a way for better communication between children and elders. School educational kits were also distributed to the children who attended the support group.
Note: Photograph for this report is not posted because the premises was a Govt Hospital and we did not get permission
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May 19, 2014
My good grades are because of the encouragement and support of my peers
By Jeyapaul Sunder Singh | Director
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Being an orphan boy born with HIV, life has been a struggle, especially when my only brother could not keep me with him because his wife was not supportive because of my HIV status. The sudden decision affected me that I felt alone and even felt unwanted. Left with no choice, I was placed in a government hostel to do my 11th and 12th standard. Initially it was shocking as I was very attached to my relatives and my brother, and it took me few months to cope-up with the situation and that was when I got involved with the support group.
In the support group of adolescents living with HIV, I felt like a big family. There were friends who encouraged me and supported me and that helped me to get back to normalcy again. I got interested in my life and started setting my goals of becoming a Chartered Accountant. But when I shared this dream, to my extended family, they mocked and were negative about it. They said that I should be getting into work and earn and make a living. But those words did not affect me, because peers in the support group stood by me and said that I can do it.
Yes now, I am proud that I have been able to achieve and be a role model to many like me. I am not alone now, I now have many friends like me at Buds of Christ, who motivate and inspire me to love and serve many like me.
I thank the donors for supporting our group which has helped many like me find hope to move forward in life.
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