|
|
|
|
Care Home
It began with one child in the Summer of 2000, it is now a thriving home for
34 children and 2 women all living with HIV. Supported by a committed staff
that includes a full-time doctor, two nurses, and ten dedicated care
workers, these children are thriving in a way that no one could have
imagined when the first child walked through the door.
Care for children living with HIV and AIDS is not something that people like
to invest in, instead money flows into prevention activities that often
neglect those living as HIV-positive people. Additionally, it is estimated
that more than a million children have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS.
Those children that have contracted the virus are not at fault, yet
institutions that house other orphans are not willing to take on the care of
an HIV-positive child.
This is where the Naz Care Home steps in and accepts children of any age
that are living with the HIV virus. We now have children ranging in age from
nine months to 12 years. Our school-age children are all regularly attending
classes, and excelling in studies, though many of them had never gone to
school before arriving at Naz. The children are seen daily by a doctor,
minimizing the risks of opportunistic infections and providing supervision
for those children on anti-retroviral therapy. Meals are designed with an
emphasis on well-balanced nutrition. Each child works with a tutor for an
hour each day, and yoga classes are held three times a week. The children
enjoy playtime, walks in the park, and watching movies with the help of
volunteers from the community.
The children’s home and activities are supported through donations, and some
children are sponsored by community members, and benefactors from abroad. A
coordinator and two care home counselors allow for supervision of the
children daily with a focus on each child’s holistic development. Counselors
conduct individual counseling sessions with all the children each week.
To say that the Naz Care Home is a place for children with nowhere else to
go is true. Yet, more than that the Care Home is a place where these
children are able to access a full life that places the priority on their
health while allowing them to live as a child, and not as a patient.
Coordinator
Contact:
carehome@nazindia.org
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
|
MSM