CHAHA – a wish’. Children Affected by HIV/AIDS – Health and Happiness for All. The goal of this program is to reduce the HIV related morbidity and mortality in adults and children and address the impact of HIV on children. The main areas of focus are the four high prevalence states (Tamilnadu, Maharastra, Andhra Pradesh and Manipur) by scaling up the availability of services for treatment, care and support.

The overall objective is to improve care and support services to children living with HIV/AIDS and Children affected by HIV/AIDS and enable interventions, which keep them with their parents or extended families.

At national level, three principal recipients implement the project and one of them is India HIV/AIDS Alliance. LEPRA is one of the Sub recipients of this program in Andhra Pradesh to implement the program in Hyderabad, Nalgonda, Ranga Reddy, Krishna and Nizamabad districts.

The focus of the project was mainly on children (infected and affected) between the age group of 0-18 years & women who need access to treatment, care & support services.

During the last seven months (June – December 2007) under CHAHA, LEPRA Society has registered 289 children from 5 selected districts of Andhra Pradesh, namely, Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Nizamabad, Nalgonda and Krishna. All these children have availed at least one service under the project such as supplementary nutrition support, educational/vocational training support, referral services to OI treatment/prophylaxis and to ART institutions, household support, and income generation support.

Project Partner NGOs:

The following are the partner of LEPRA in implementing CHAHA in 5 districts of Andhra Pradesh.

SDA 1: Providing care and support services for children living with HIV/AIDS & those affected by HIV, incl. orphans & vulnerable children

Nutrition Support: The aim is to ensure that children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS have similar nutritional resources as other children in their communities. Supplementary nutrition support provided to 116 children, among them, 63 of the beneficiaries were Children Affected by HIV/AIDS and remaining 53 were Children Living with HIV/AIDS. The following nutritional items were given to the children: Wheat, Soya  badi, Lobhe (Black Gram), Sugar, Brown Gram (Chana), Moong gram, Corn Flakes, Raagi Powder,    Red gram,     Milk,     Eggs,     Bambino,     Seasonal fruits,     Vegetables,     Iodized salt, horlics, cerelac. With the support of AWWs, nutrition demonstrations were conducted by ORWs.

Education Support: The primary focus of the support is to ensure children to have formal school education. CLHA and CAA are provided access to education through formal or informal education, and vocational skills-based training for older children. 46 children availed this benefit. The services given include payment of school fees, purchase of text, notebooks, bags, school uniform, tuition fees. Twelve (seven are CLHA) children who were school dropouts due to the impact of disease have been mainstreamed to school. One child, who failed in class 10 and dropped out of school, was supported with tuition fees. One girl child aged above 14 years referred and she joined Vocational training for tailoring.

Alternate/Foster Care:  ensures that no child goes without shelter, clothing, and access to clean safe water or basic personal hygiene, and that children have at least one adult who provides them with love and support 6 children supported with alternative care services. All these children are living with their grandparent/s. Project takes care of the day-to-day needs of the child (food, clothing and other urgent needs).

A brief history of these 6 children is given below:

1. 12-year-old girl child, whose parents died because of HIV/AIDS.  Since then she began to live with her uncle (father’s younger brother). The family was making efforts to put her in a hostel due to financial problems in the family. CHAHA intervened and counselled her uncle and his family to keep the child in the family and thereafter supported the child’s well being (basic and medical needs). - Divya Disha
2. Another child who was staying with grandparents supported to meet the daily needs of the child. Grandparents were not in position to work and earn their living and take care of the child. – GRAM
3. 13-year-old boy, lost his parents and stay with grandmother along with his sister. As the grandmother is old and cannot work, she found it difficult to take care of these two. At present project is supporting only the basic needs of the boy. The same boy has received educational support as well. - HLCHS
4. 7-year-old boy (CLHA) who lost both the parents stays with her grandmother. The boy health condition is very weak and supported with medical assistance. Under alternative care, the boy was given clothes and basic support. – PEACE
5. Foster care is given to Jems an unknown 7 years old child who was dropped at church of Tiruvuru. The church priest sent the child for blood test to VCTC and he found to be reactive. As the priest was planning to put the boy in an orphanage, CHAHA team assisted in providing foster care. At present, the child is under the guardianship of Ms Lakshmi, a 35-year-old woman, who willingly came forward to look after the child. Ms. Lakshmi is PLHA and has a child who is CLHA. Her husband died of HIV/AIDS. – RIDES
6. One boy (CLHA) whose parents expired with HIV/AIDS stays with grandparents. The grand parent is very old and unable to meet the basic needs of the child. CHAHA supported in meeting the basic needs of this child. The child is happily living with his grand parent and regularly attending the school after getting support. The community also came forward to help the family after our intervention.-- WORD

Health/ medical care services aim to meet the health needs of infected children according to their age including providing primary care, immunization, treatment for children when they are sick and ongoing treatment.

43 children [CLHA/CAA] have been referred for OI treatment/Prophylaxis. Among the total, 38 Children [CLHA] were referred to take OI treatment.  Majority of the referred children for OI treatment reported with skin rashes, TB Symptomatic (cough/sputum test), fever, etc.

Although the total target to be achieved was 15, based on the need, 20 [12 boys, 8 girls] were referred to avail ART. All these children tested for CD4 to start Paediatric ART.

provided for families or adult caregivers of the child. This support was mainly to cater emergency or crisis situations the child or the family might face. 144 households of CLHA/CAA have been supported. The type of support given to the households include: expenses to meet the funeral ceremony, basic transportation to hospitals, emergency ration, blankets, towels, sweaters, mats, steel utensils, water filters, folding cots, mosquito nets, roofing sheets, etc.

is a group of the children affected/infected by HIV/ AIDS who come together to provide emotional and psychosocial support to each other in order to boost their confidence and sense of belonging.  4 child support groups have been formed and are active. The children organised two meetings. Each of these groups consists of 7-10 children between the age group of 7 to 14.

SDA 2: Creating a supportive environment-Stigma reduction in all setting

Sensitization Meetings Held with Influential people:

Baseline Survey

During November 2007, in four project sites Baseline survey conducted with an aim to understand certain health issues and care and support systems. The target group of the survey includes the children between the age group of 10-18.

Sensitization Meetings held at community level

In Nizamabad district the partner NGO has conducted awareness meetings in 9 schools, 70 teachers attended the meetings. The participants were oriented to the project activities and the severe problem of stigma and discrimination in many communities.

Engaging CBOs

The project has conducted sensitization meetings with community-based organization such as MACS, SHGs, Federations, IKP and NGOs. One of implementing partner GRAM attended 12 SHG meetings, 5 representative general body meetings of MACS and initiated a dialogue to work with women groups in reducing stigma and discrimination.

Advocacy meetings

Strengthening of referrals/Linkages

LEPRA assisted in strengthening the linkages between the iNGOs and VCTCs  in Vikarabad (Rangareddy district) with the support of APCP Coordinator, Positive Women Network in Medchal (Rangareddy district) to increase access to services.

State Level Advocacy Meetings

On December 1st, 2007 World’s AIDS Day was observed in coordination with APSACS, FHI, Plan India, CRS, AAA, VMM and some other local NGO’s.The theme chosen for 2007 focuses on “LEADERSHIP” – highlighting the need for innovation, vision and perseverance in the face of the AIDS challenge. An appeal was made to Chief Minister about their rights and concerns.

Strengthening of civil society & Institutional Capacity Building

The following capacity building programmes have been organized for the project staff during the year.