Ashray
Goal: To increase the availability and accessibility of prevention, care and support services to orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), particularly children of women in prostitution and women in crisis or at risk of HIV/AIDS in Mumbai city.
In the course of working with families through Project CHILD, it was discovered that there were no residential homes for children infected/affected by HIV/AIDS. Infected parents were falling sick and there was no one to take care of the children. The extended family refused to accept these children due to the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS. At times, the children were also HIV positive and no one wanted to be associated with them.
It was in this scenario that CCDT started Ashray in November, 1995. Ashray is a temporary residential home; a safety net for children aged 0-8 years who are infected/affected by HIV/AIDS. The organization does not believe in mandatory testing and therefore, the children are not tested for HIV nor is it a criterion for admission. Universal precautions are maintained with all the children, ensuring that there is no discrimination within the center.
The project works towards the long term rehabilitation of the children either by placing them in boarding schools or with their extended families, arranging foster care options or placing them for adoption. The children and project staff deal directly with the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS. The team deals with more than those affected and/or infected by a disease, it addresses the social constructions of the disease itself.
In spite of several challenges, the project maintains a happy and homely environment for the children. These children are sent to municipal schools. Play therapy is used extensively and outdoor games are also encouraged. Medical care is given utmost importance. Ashray works with a nearby hospital to provide regular immunization and medical attention to the children. There is a consulting pediatrician who takes care of medical needs. The nutrition program is carefully planned under the guidance of a qualified nutritionist. Programs at Ashray also cover vocational training and recreational camps for the children. Volunteers and staff organize outings to give the children respite from institutional care; and birthdays and festivals like Diwali and Christmas are celebrated with simple means but great gusto!
Although the children lead as “normal” a life as possible, they are often plagued by doubts about their own health and well-being. Most of the children have lost one or more family members to HIV/AIDS. They have experienced abuse, undergone immense loss and have witnessed death much too early in life. Counseling plays a vital role in the healing process and has often been successful in bringing about a positive change. And a positive change is what is urgently required. More than 20 years into the epidemic, the virus has infected thousands of children and affected many more. These children live in a fragmented world where they are relentlessly confronted with prejudicial views and discriminatory practices. Ashray has proved to be a safe haven for a small fraction of these children. The center can accommodate 25 children at any given time. Ashray tries to replicate a home environment for the children where they feel loved and protected. However, it cannot be a permanent solution for these children. Committed Communities Development Trust (CCDT) believes that institutionalization can only lead to further segregation of this already marginalized group. Thus the organisation looks at reintegrating the children of Ashray by reuniting them with their families/extended families or by placing them in foster families.
