First meeting with siblings infected with HIV

I went back to the ashram in the evening to meet Jagatbhai to go see the siblings with HIV they want me to mentor. It was bright and sunny when we left on the bike, but within 10 minutes it was pouring rain. He asked if I wanted to sit in a rickshaw the rest of the way, but I figured that I was already soaked, so I might as well enjoy the experience. Driving in the rain was scarier than usual bike driving in India, and I could barely see! But we made it to their house.

The kids live by Lal Durwaja, which is in the "city" area. It's a 10 foot by 10 foot or so square house. When we got there the girl was cooking dinner; the younger boy, was out playing. As soon as we got there the boy offered us tea. I told him I didn't drink any. Coffee then? No, I don't drink coffee either. Something cold - juice, soda? No, I'm freezing from being so wet. It amazed me to think that this 6 year old was being such an incredible host - I did not expect that from someone less than 3 feet tall!

The girl is keeping a fast, so as the rain let up everyone finished their tea and we went to go buy fasting food for her. They bought flour and soap for the house. It was very surreal to be asking a 10 year old girl what groceries were needed for the house.

These kids do not know of their HIV status. When their parents passed away, they started living in the ashram. The boy started getting spots on his skin. After trying a few different treatments, the doctor asked to track down the family history. That is when it was discovered their parents had HIV. They were taken out of the ashram, since they couldn't be allowed to stay there with other kids. They both were seen by doctors as they moved back home and lived on their own.

The girl is on medications, but the boy is not. No one has taken a real interest in helping these kids, and providing them with guidance. Moreover, they don't know about their status, making it difficult for them to know the importance of taking their medication on time and regularly. How do you tell a kid that when he or she bleeds, they can't touch anyone? Or that when it's raining they shouldn't go out and play with the other kids because if they get sick, it could turn into something much more serious than a cold?

As touching as it was to see these kids learning to live their lives on their own, it was difficult to understand the situation they're in and totally unaware of. They want to get them back into the government school for now, and then have us look into getting them into a hostel for kids with HIV. We want to find something that will give them the support they need so we're planning on visiting a few places before we decide.

The fact that the system isn't setup to catch and help kids like this is disheartening, but I feel more positive knowing that there are people and organizations such as Manav Sadhna who will go above and beyond to help people in such unimaginable situations go forward. I feel fortunate to be a part of such an effort and look forward to getting to know these kids and being a mentor and teacher to them.