Sukesh and Megha are happy-go-lucky, well-fed children who attend school and stay happily with their maternal grandparents. Their parents died of AIDS a few years ago and the siblings too are HIV positive but they are not aware of their condition. Their grandmother Kanta has ensured that they take regular medication, eat nutritious food and are kept away from family members who are likely to discriminate against them due to their disease.
"My daughter and son-in-law were turned out of their home by her in-laws family after they were diagnosed with HIV. Even after their death, that family has never bothered to find out about the well-being of the children," says Kantaben.
The fiesty grandmother says that she had to fight her way in the society to protect the kids from social discrimination. "My daughters and son know about the situation and they do not have any problem, but there are other family members who have ill-treated us because of the children being HIV positive. I have severed relationship with them. I am responsible for these children; I could not have left them to die," says Kantaben.
Such examples came up at a programme organised to distribute note-books and compass boxes to HIV positive children and kids of parents afflicted with HIV. The stationery was distributed to 85 kids in a programme jointly organised by Adhaar Charitable Trust and Lions Club of Ahmedabad.
For 14-year-old Shivam, his grandfather is his guardian angel. He fought against family members and insisted that the kid who was orphaned four years ago be kept within the family fold.
Shivam's parents succumbed to HIV and there was lot of restlessness among the family members to keep the boy, who is also a carrier of the virus, as they were afraid that even they would get the virus.
"But, my father was adamant. Shivam remains ill most of the time, has fever, but he goes to school like all normal kids. There is no discrimination against him in our family and all credit goes to my father who has been a pillar of support for him," said Suresh, Shivam's uncle who now takes him to the hospital for treatment.
Varshaben of Adhaar said, "Mostly grandparents turn out to be saviours for HIV-afflicted children. In case there is no elderly person in the family, children suffer a poor fate. Like this little boy who lives a miserable life after the death of his parents. He has five sisters, two of whom are married, but they do not look after him. They also do not give him proper food. We had to appoint a social workers to act as his caretaker and bring him to the hospital for medication."