Theme Charity

Case history 1 Samuvel age unknown

Samuvel never knew his father who had died before he was born. The father had married twice and infected both his wives with HIV.

'Samu' first turned up with his mother who was very sick with HIV and TB. He was about 11 years old and looked the picture of health. Cheeky and always smiling. He loved his mother dearly and was always helping her as much as he could.

Samuvel was tested for HIV as a matter of routine but against all expectation he turned out to be infected with both HIV and TB. After treatment he and his mother returned home. They didn't return.

Arogya Agam searched for them and found that the mother had died and Samu had run away. He was found begging and brought home where his grandmother looked after him. A few months later she also died and again Samu went missing.

When he was found Samu cried “My Aunt and Uncle won’t let me into their house, they say I will infect and kill their children, they beat me and sent me off”. Samu was a child at risk.

Arogya Agam tries to support all HIV affected children in their own villages, but for some this is impossible. A few children stay on the campus looked after by staff. Samu has finished TB treatment and is now on lifelong treatment for HIV. He attends school, he is very naughty but everyone likes him, perhaps because he is always (outwardly) smiling and laughing. Recently his Uncle has allowed him to come to the house during the school holidays.

Case history 2 : Lakshmi

Fifteen year old Lakshmi comes every month for her allowance and thanks to the counselling the children receive at these meetings she has learnt about child rights and that in certain situations she can say "no!"

Recently she informed Arogya Agam staff that her parents wanted to marry her off. She did not know the chosen man; in any case she wanted to continue with her studies. She had told her parents that they had no right to force her to marry and that if they tried she would get legal assistance with the help of Arogya Agam. Our staff met with the family to talk things over, subsequently they agreed not to go through with the marriage plan.

CASE HISTORY 3 Dhanalakshmi

Two years ago when aged fourteen, Dhanalakshimi was illegally recruited to work in a cotton mill five hours bus ride from her home.

 Dhanalakshmi is HIV+ and attends the monthly meetings at Arogya Agam. A staff member enquired why she was not in school.

Poverty was the root cause, and now Dhanalakshimi’s parents have been counseled and encouraged to keep their daughter in school. The programme gives support with school books, uniforms and other needs. Dhanalakshimi says “If not for Arogya Agam I would be still in a mill and probably be married by now.” Her latest exam results were excellent!

CASE HISTORY 4 Thirteen year old Rani and her Grandmother Petchiammal

Rani’s father died five years ago from HIV/AIDS. Her mother who was now HIV infected, abandoned Rani to go off and marry again.

Rani is HIV positive and lives with her maternal Grandmother Petchiammal who takes great care of her. Rani is a serious student, very thin but neat as a pin with well oiled and carefully plaited hair. She receives the 500 rupee monthly allowance from Arogya Agam.

 Petchiammal has a gentle, sincere face as she recounts quietly the difficulties the two of them have to face. They are not allowed to go into her daughter's in-laws house and the children are not allowed to play with Rani. When the daughter in-law found out that Rani was HIV+ she ran riot and went screaming about it to everyone in the street.

When Rani's mother comes to visit her, the in-laws scream "Why are you here when now you are married to some other man!" Once she was even physically attacked with a knife.

Staff from Arogya Agam went to see the in-laws to iron out misunderstandings concerning Rani's illness so as to put and end to the discrimination, but sadly nothing has changed for them.

Rani says "I have many school friends, but they do not know about my positivity."

Case history 5 Powneswari

Grandmother Karuppayee looks after 4 year old Powneswari who is HIV positive, and baby Mutheswaren who was tested negative.

Grandmother Karuppayee recounts. "My daughter married five years ago, it was a love marriage, I didn’t approve of her husband – he drank and did odd jobs, brickwork and that kind of thing.

 "When my daughter was pregnant with Powneswari she refused treatment and now my little granddaughter is HIV positive. When the second baby was born in hospital my daughter became very sick, actually she went crazy and kept tearing off her clothes so the hospital discharged her. Twenty days later she died.”

Karuppayee is a widow and not very sure of her age. "The monthly allowance from Arogya Agam is a great relief, but I will need help from you when my little granddaughter needs testing again, I’m not sure how to go about it. I have plenty of will power to bring them up well," she smiles, "but when I’m too old what will happen?"

Case history 6 Pandeeswaren

Pandeeswaren is a bright young lad who when discriminated against in school because of his HIV status, took his case to the 'collector,' one of the highest regional authorities, to complain. Arogya Agam, who was treating him, sent their team of councilors to the school to speak to the teachers and children about HIV/AIDS and to iron out any misunderstandings.

Pandeeswaren is one of the children that Arogya Agam support with a monthly allowance. He has been on anti retro virals for the last 6 years and was doing very well. Suddenly his CD4 blood test shows that the treatment does not seem to be having any more effect. There is a second line treatment, but this is very much a step into the unknown. What does his future hold?