Too poor to travel to the hospital to get medicine for her son and herself

The Hospice at Shanti Nivas

Last week we admitted  mother and her son. They were registered as suffering form HIV in 2008 and 2011 respectively.In 2008 the nearest centre to their village for receiving check up and  retroviral therapy was in Visakhapatnam -  - about 100 kilomenters from their home and a long and slow journey by bus, Appal, the little boy was only 15kg in weight and he was started on a 'baby' dose in July 2011, when both mother and son were admitted into the hospital because they were so weak.

His weight now is only 14.5kg - 14 months later.

The little boy stopped taking ART in January 2012 because his mother could not afford to take him to get his medicine. It was difficult enough for her to go begging for food locally for them to eat. She came to know that there was now a nearer hospital to get ART but she has not been for a year. The little boy goes to school, he is in the second class, so at least he gets one free school meal. Mother goes begging for idli or rice - each day to a different shop. They are both very weak, anaemic and Appall has ringworm and fungal infections all over his body.

We will give them a high protein diet, treat his fungal infections, do TB tests and get them onto ART again.

Another patient is a man of 53 who was recently diagnosed and was referred to us by the ART centre because he has stopped taking his ART as it made him feel sick, and he was suffering from leg pains ,fever.and anaemia.

We explained about the side effects of the strong drugs and that the symptoms would lessen over the next few weeks if  he increased his protein intake , took rest and had clean food and water.

The Christmas Party 2013

The Christmas Party

The Christmas Party was on the 21st December this year and for the first time it was not held at DMC House but at the new site known as Shanti Nivas. As Shanti means ‘peace‘ it was an appropriate venue, however, the reason for the change was because we now have too many children to hold the party in Vizianagaram. We had to cater for 200 children and guests. Not enough space for the children to run around and not enough space for the cooks to work their miracles.

Shanti Nivas is a very rural site two kilometres from the main Vizianagaram highway to Salur, 10 km from the Rainbow Boy's Home and DMC House. 20 km from Prem Nivas and 100km from Karina Nivas. There was, therefore, the added expense of taxi’s and trains to transport the children from our other homes, but this was, at the same time, exciting and novel for the children. The children arrived in time for the speeches by guests, who included the Vizianagaram Pastor, the Director of the Leprosy MissionVocational Training Centre and the government District HIV/Aids officer.

 Listening to opening speeches

Five and six year olds hung the gold decorations on the Christmas tree while the other children assembled under a large colourful open tent ‘shamiana’ for the opening proceedings..

Lunch for the little ones was in the dining room but the older children ate al fresco under the mango and cashew nut trees. The afternoon was taken up with giving out presents and new clothes to all the children, as well as a informal dancing to very loud speakers, playing on the swings, slides and playing games.

Snacks of samosas to keep them going!

Waiting for their presents!

Known here as "CHRISTMAS TATA'  or 'Christmas Grandfather'
 He jollies the proceedings and distributes sweets!

 

The evening entertainment included songs and dances and a nativity play , plus the cutting of the cake. The Indian tradition is putting the first piece in to a child's mouth and they do the same to you!

Krishnaveni and Keerti of Shanti Nivas do a little song and dance. They are wearing their new Christmas dresses.

Swathi, Satya, Jyothi and Suneetha perform a dance to a Christian hymn.

The Prem Nivas Nativity play.

Senior DMC girls dance beautifully to great applause from the children.

Silent Night was sung in Telugu and in English with older children holding candles.

Selected 'volunteers' given rosettes to perform important tasks

The tree