As I watch the five year old kid, my heart goes for him. I admire his innocence, the little hands that paint, tiny lips that pray. The joy that he shares with his friends, the care he takes of the younger ones. The only worry he has is how to win the bicycle race with his friend. He does not know the dark shades behind his sweet smile.
He often questions himself that why he can’t be with his parents just like any other kid? Why he can’t be healthy like any other kids in school. Why always I & my friends fall sick often?
That little brain doesn't understand that they have HIV Virus in them. It affects the immune system and body is prone to diseases.
Yes these are the questions in minds of many kids at Shanthi Ashram at Hyderabad . It is home for HIV positive kids, who acquired the infection during pregnancy, birth and breast feeding from the infected mothers. After birth the child is left or handed over to hospitals. The home provides health care, education to the kids for making kids independent.
It is a challenge for the organizers to take care of these kids and to give normal living style to them. The home faces many challenges to deal with the people nearby.
The kids have no role to play in getting the disease, but they have to live with it. They have to face many hardships from the community which neglects them.
I believe people with humanity and love respect such kids and helps them to lead normal life in schools etc. and will never make them feel that they are rejected kids. Apart from this, all of us has to strive to integrate HIV positive girls and boys into mainstream society & allow them to lead normal life.
Today I take pledge that I would treat all of them equal with respect, love and affection. I would never create or be a reason for any mental trauma to them.
Help them to lead normal life and bring them out of suicidal and depression. After all they have right to live.
You can visit them @ http://shanthiashram.org
Image courtesy: http://shanthiashram.org