I have been HIV positive for the last 11 years.
I would not have been here, had I not come across MILANA. I was introduced to this family support network of HIV positive people by a doctor. When the test results for HIV status were done I was not told that we were HIV positive. I was instead told that all of us - me, my husband and my baby - have AIDS and we won’t live more than three months.
Hearing this we had decided to commit suicide...and then MILANA happened.
Jyoti madam, coordinator and founder of the group, came to us and counseled us. She touched us when no one was ready to touch us. In MILANA, conversation, touch, hug, love and affection is very important.
I realized that I could also live courageously with my son.
My marriage was a love marriage. But it was an inter-cast wed-lock. My husband was a Malayali and I am a Gowda. So no one agreed to our marriage. My husband committed suicide.
My son’s name is Vinod. He is 10 years old. He is very naughty. During such moments I feel saddened. Then I pull myself together and tell myself that I must look after him very nicely as long as he lives. I want to give him whatever he asks for.
Since he is taking the second line ART, his health condition is good. He knows that he is HIV positive.
In MILANA I got training to become a nurse. I also learned that I can work for people. I also came to know that we can fight for our rights as people affected with HIV.
ActionAid is the founder of the group and there is a good co-ordination between us and members of ActionAid. They often take part on our planning and discussions and tell us how to face this life, how to fight for our rights.
We carry forward this work by learning what are rights as people living with HIV, what are our human rights, what we must do to get it and what kind of atrocities are taking place in ART centers.
1 comment:
It is very unfortunate that people living with HIV are being discriminated allover the world. But i want to assure you that HIV is never a terminal disease.HIV is is anew virus(better than CANCER),but some people are afraid, because they do not understand it.Some individuals,private organizations, recruitment agencies ,still discriminate against people living with HIV,For this reasons,it is difficult for people living with HIV to talk freely about HIV and seek help.Please if you are infected,know that YOU DID NOTHING WRONG.You only have a chronic disease that you can manage and live with.Learn much about HIV/AIDS,so you can explain it to others.Positively stay healthy and live positive.Show that you can do a lot,contribute something to your community and the world at large.KEEP THE HOPE ALIVE.For further reading about living positively, please visit:http://www.hivpositiveliving.blogspot.com.
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