The annual programme organised by Chennai-based non-profit Love In Action Trust in Tirupati on December 17 provided a platform to Children Living with HIV/AIDS (CLHA) to interact and engage freely with other children in order to combat the deep-rooted stigmas around HIV/AIDS.
The children, who are aware of their medical condition and are currently on medication and nutritional diet, gathered at David Lois Rees hospital campus in Yerpedu, participated and won prizes in several sports and games events.
127 CHLAs from four districts, Tirupati, Chittoor, Annamayya (Andhra Pradesh) and Tiruvallur (Tamil Nadu), arrived for the event. The trust has been providing nutrition, health, education and livelihood to children suffering from HIV/AIDS since 2008.
Government Maternity Hospital’s Resident Medical Officer (RMO) R.R. Reddy, an active blood donor, emphasised on how integral it is to destigmatise the society’s approach towards the disease for the students’ progress.
Social activist Y. Praveen, who runs a chain of nursing institutions, announced a job to one such girl who completed her MBA in HR and Finance. He later gave away prizes to the winners of various competitions.
Managing Trustee Vimala Rees recalled that the trust provided nutrition, health support, socio-psychological support, income generation programmes for CLHAs, home visit by outreach workers, and support for funeral expenses. Project coordinators A. Vijayakumar and V. Ramachandraiah discussed the several activities of the trust.
