Project Plan for the Extension of the building for the HIV children, Nava Sanidhya, Bijapur

Introduction

HIV/AIDS is a health problem with multiple dimensions. It affects not just the individual suffering from the diseases but the entire family, community and the country. The district in Northern Karnataka has higher number of HIV infected persons. By having home care for the HIV infected children we want to create a home to meet the physical, psychological, social, educational and spiritual needs of children.

Brief History of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny

The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny was started by a courageous and dynamic person called Blessed Anne Marie Javouhey in Cluny at France in the year 1807 and has spread over 57 countries. Her vision for the Congregation was the faith formation and education of the youth who were the victims of the French revolution. “I want to be everywhere, where there is suffering to be alleviated”, this was Anne Marie’s constant dream and she aimed at it all through her life by taking care of the people from all kinds of bondages like, breaking the chains of slavery, care of the mentally and physically ill persons, educating the illiterate youth, organizing farmers etc. The charism of the Congregation is total availability to the will of God, according to the signs of the times. In the year 1827 Cluny Sisters came to India, and started their first community at Pondicherry. At present about more than 1100 Sisters are working in 13 States and in 3 Union Territories, belonging to 6 Provinces of India. They are involved in formal and no formal education, caring for the physically, mentally and psychologically ill persons, rehabilitating the differently abled persons, empowering the women, children, dalits and tribal, pastoral care of the laity, caring for the prisoners and rehabilitation of their children, care of the orphans, the aged and persons with HIV/AIDS.  The Congregation has its head quarters at Paris and the Provincial head quarters at Bangalore.

The brief History of Nava Sanidhya, Bijapur.

The Cluny Sisters came to Bijapur in the year 1995, at the invitation of the Jesuits who were engaged in developmental activities. Nava Sanidhya is the Centre for Integral Social Action, and the Sisters are working for the empowerment of the rural poor, especially Lambanis- women, youth and children through a process of animation. The vision - of Nava Sanidhya is building a new and just society- the Kingdom. The Sisters are involved in formation of Self Help Groups, literacy programmes, remedial education for youth, and supportive schools for school going children, referral services for the sick, awareness education on HIV/AIDS, immunization programme, skill trainings, empowering the women, children, dalits and tribal, pastoral care of the laity, care of the orphans, the aged and persons with HIV/AIDS. Living and working with the people in this area for the past 19 years, we have helped form 60 Self Help Groups for women, 15 for youth and 10 for children and have witnessed what they can become if they are organized and empowered. These SHGs are federated under the umbrella of “Jancy Rani” women federation.

The home care programme for the HIV infected children started on 10^th August 2009 with one child named Abishek who was almost dying. With our constant love and care he picked up his health. Gradually the number of children has increased to 29. Among them there are 24 girls and 5 boys between the age of 6 and 19 years. They are from various villages of Bijapur District, in north Karnataka. They are directed to our centre by the community care centre of Bijapur,  through different link workers who work for the people living with HIV/AIDS, on governmental organizations (NGO),Voluntary Counseling and Testing Centre (VCTC) and ART(Anti Retroviral Treatment) Department Govt. Hospital Bijapur.

Objectives:

Our Vision is the same as the Vision of Jesus Christ, the teacher of lives, who came that all may have life, and have it in abundance.

• To provide holistic care and to ensure their quality of life.
• To enhance positive self-image and hope in life and to promote value system
• To empower and rehabilitate
• To educate them and make them self sufficient
• To provide effective care and support to HIV infected children
• To help them to face the challenges of the modern society
• To organize prevention and awareness programmes

Problem statement

Care of the HIV infected persons poses new challenges everyday even as care, support and treatment programmes improve throughout our country. A person affected by HIV is almost always pushed away from their homes and society. The children are the most vulnerable group to HIV/AIDS. There is rapid growth in the number of AIDS orphans. Children who lose one or both of their parents due to HIV are at risk of leaving school or falling behind their age group in school. Even before the parents dies the child is required more in the house to help with domestic work. On becoming orphaned, some children stay home to take care of the siblings and there for do not go to school. Children at times, after the death of one parent have to live with their relations and they are not taken care of and ill treated. In the case of our children majority are orphans.

According to the initial plan the present building was built as a half way home for the disabled persons about 10 years back. When we saw that the disabled persons were not responding as we expected and the numbers of the HIV infected children were on the rise the acute need to care for them became a priority. As we have mentioned earlier the number of children increased and now we do not have enough of place to cater for the children who come to us. The children are growing and some of them have already attained puberty and we do not have enough space and facility, as well as it is not good to keep the boys and girls together.  So we kindly request you to support us with financial help to build two dormitory one for boys and one for girls, a room for the care taker and two toilets one for boys and other for girls on the second floor that we may be able to take care of these most vulnerable children of our society. After the completion of the building we will be accommodating forty children. We hopefully wait for a favorable response from you. We have enclosed the proposed building plan and the estimate.

Conclusion

This project proposal of ours is an effect to help the HIV infected children to have a better stay in our centre. “The best thing in the world is seeing people to smiling because of you”. As we continue to care for these under privileged children we hope you will support us to brighten their lives.

BUDGET FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF SECOND FLOOR