Her parents had died and her grandmother did not want her. She was living in a leaf shelter at the side of the road with her relations while they sold their wares. We were lucky to have been surveying in that area and to have the chance to help Nilaveni.
I met Nilaveni on the evening before the Picnic as she had come to Shanti Nivas with Karuna Nivas children. I was worried that she would be disappointed at missing the 'picnic' but she didn't know what the 'picnic' was. Despite her pretty dress ( given by Brighter Future) she looked so weak and was emaciated that she was admitted to the hospice immediately.Luckily we had Vijaya in the hospice too. Vijaya had just started a course of TB treatment and was suffering from the side effects of this while
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| Nilaveni and Vijaya with the teddies given to them by friends of Pastor Jude |
Nilaveni's haemoglobin count was very low, her skin was dry and flaking off, her body was emaciated.She had been tested and started on ART while at Karuna Nivas. She was clearly finding the strong drugs difficult to tolerate. Her mouth was full of ulcers so that ten year old Nilaveni could only eat a cereal called ragi when mixed with powdered rice into a thin paste. She could not chew rice grains and did not like any vegetables. We managed to get her to eat a mashed banana and as her ulcers healed she was gradually persuaded to try a soft boiled egg, dhal and other soft foods.
Nilaveni has never been to school but she can count and knows her numbers to 10. We asked Vijaya to read her some stories but she did not understand or remember them.
We took her for TB testing. Pulmonary TB was confirmed and Nilaveni has now started a 6 month course of TB treatment.
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