Supporting HIV Orphans and their Care-givers

While we everday go to the field expecting touching stories and difficult situation of our project beneficiaries (HIV orphans and their poor and elderly care-givers), our recent encounter with a family was very touching to all of us: It is the story 71 year old Mr ASB married to Mrs HKB (65years), and having under their care 4 orphaned children aged 13years, 9years and 6years and 3 years. The youngest child was born with HIV, and the other children are already in school. Both caregivers are retired and had small pension and little HIV preventioneducation. They were also very much unaware about HIV, its prevention and the life of young people due to wide generational gap. Further, they were unable to understand the need to take the younegst child to the hospital for continous treatment and care. Mrs ASB, who bears most of the caregiving work developed depression and often beats the children according to the account of neighbours. However after training, neighbours noticed that she has rekindled her love to the children with greater intensity,and is always seeking for people to discuss HIV with. Her finances have improved when she was given part-time health education/hygiene work in a local school as a result of her participation in our empowerment training. During the period from April to May 2010, community elders in all the places reached were very grateful for support given to their less privileged and vulnerable members. They indicated that it has awakened them to their responsibilities to that forgotten segment of the population. We impacted on a total of 37 child beneficiaries in the period under review, and with the available resources, and the support and volunteerism of medical doctors in our team made ample support to health, life, well being and future of this children. The project team is very grateful for all those who made donations to this project. Your donations through the Global Giving Foundation has no doubt made life a lot easier and more rewarding for numerous HIV orphans and their caregivers as illustrated by the anecdote above. Our project continues to make positive impact in the life of HIV orphans and their caregivers in rural communities; thanks to the generous donations from our donors. We are very grateful to our donors who support the work we do. Thank you for supporting the work we do. Your unrelenting support to our work has been our biggest strength. On behalf of the children we serve and save together, we say thank you for all your support.