Missionary Society of St. Thomas priests talk to children being supported by the Deepti Foundation in Delhi. (ucanews.com photo)
Like any other nine-year-old, Anja lives a carefree life. He goes to school, loves to watch cartoons and wants to be an engineer when he grows up. The difference: Anja is living with HIV.
"I know I have HIV and have to take medicine, but that is okay," Anja, who has a low immune system because of the disease, told ucanews.com.
He was born with HIV. Both his parents died a few years ago and he was left orphaned at the mercy of relatives.
"I have everyone in the family [alive] except my parents," said the boy, who hails from Delhi.
Anja is among 13 other boys living with HIV at the Deepti Ashram, run by priests of the Missionary Society of St. Thomas in Mitraon village in the outskirts of Delhi.
The boys aged 3-18 are provided with medicine, education, food and shelter. Once a child turns 18, he leaves the home to stay with relatives or looks for a job and lives on his own.
They are often trained for a vocation at Deepti, taking classes in plumbing, electrics, tailoring or carpentry so that they become self-reliant once they move out.
The home follows the guidelines of Delhi government's Child Welfare Committee and admits children only after its recommendation.
"We have to submit quarterly reports on their progress and health. State officials come for inspections and we have to produce the children before them at regular intervals," said Father Joseph Muthuplakkal, director of the foundation that runs the home.
The priest said that they take the children for monthly visits to the government hospital. "Some are even taken to the private hospital and we bear the cost from our side," he said.
The priest said they are facing a space crunch and can only accommodate 14 boys "but we plan to expand the building to take in more."
The house is funded by the contributions got by priests posted in India and abroad. It also receives some local contributions in cash and food items. It receives no funding from the government or private donors, national or overseas, Father Muthuplakkal said.
Established in 2004, the house is part of the Deepti Foundation that oversees the social service works of the congregation in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
The foundation supports over 1,800 people living with HIV elsewhere in northern India with about the same number in Delhi alone through community-based income generation programs. The foundation also conducts HIV prevention and awareness programs.
A free life
For teenagers like Raj from Punjab, their HIV status is no cause for worry.
"I do not feel anything because I do not think about it," said Raj, who was born with HIV. The 17-year-old has been living in the home for the past five years and loves to play volleyball.
Jay, 13, who has been staying in the home for 10 years, said his friends at school do not know about his "problem" but his teachers are aware. "I feel very happy when I am in school with my friends," he said.
A Missionary Society of St. Thomas priest interacts with children being supported by Deepti Foundation in Delhi. (ucanews.com photo)
Father Manu Maprayil, who runs the home, told ucanews.com that "all the children here got the disease through parental transmission and all of them, except the one from Nepal, have lost their parents," he said.
Relatives of the children make occasional visits and, in some cases, even grandparents come to see them.
He said that relatives are reluctant to come and visit the children, "But we have to make sure that they come as the children need to have a place to go after they leave the ashram." Till now 10 children have left after turning 18 but "it is very difficult to track them once they are in the outer world."
Indian HIV/AIDS scenario
There were 196,000 new HIV infections in India in 2015, adding to the previous total of 2.8 million, according to a report published in the Lancet journal. The number of deaths due to HIV/AIDS in the country was 103,000 during 2015.
UNAIDS estimates that there are about 2.1 million people living with HIV in India, with deaths due to AIDS at about 68,000.
People living with HIV face social stigma and exclusions due to misinformation surrounding the disease and the absence of specialist legal protection.
There are integrated counseling and testing centers under the government's national AIDS program. Patients also get free antiretroviral treatment. Church groups also run some 100 centers taking care of people living with HIV.
*The names of children living with HIV have been changed to protect their identities.
