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We visited two organizations run by the Syro-Malabar Church on a rainy and wet week in July in the southern Indian state of Karnataka.
The thing about Karnataka is that it is one of the states with the highest economic growth in India. Its capital city of Bengaluru has grown phenomenally in the I.T. and tech industry and has a brilliant startup ecosystem. We weren’t visiting Bengaluru though, except in transit. We headed to Mandya and Shimoga.
Shimoga is known for Jog Falls, one of the highest waterfalls in India. It is beyond imagination beautiful. Come to think of it, all of Karnataka is green, lush and full of nature spots.
But coming back to H.I.V. and AIDS services offered in Karnataka. So, India still ranks highly in the number of H.I.V. and AIDS cases in the world. In fact, third, according to stats from 2023.
The government wants to bring these numbers down and is doing all it can to achieve this. This is where organizations such as the Jyothir Vikasa Social Service Society and the Malnad Social Service Society come in. They’re both run by the Syro-Malabar Church and they act as a go-between between patients and government agencies.
Their social workers go into communities and create awareness about conditions, such as H.I.V. and AIDS. Research shows women are more vulnerable to conditions such as these. But these organizations also offer financial and emotional support.
There’s huge stigma around H.I.V. and AIDS in India. Once diagnosed, patients are often thrown out of their homes, or their families disown them, or they’re ostracized from society. Even when we went to see these patients, they were coy about disclosing their identity and wanted to remain anonymous.
We also met some teenagers who are H.I.V.-positive through their parents. They’re talented, ambitious and want to make the most of the opportunities they have. Sometimes, though, their teachers or their families treat them badly. For example, in class they’re made to sit separately, and so everybody comes to know about their health condition.
The church creates awareness against this kind of stigma. They encourage women to get jobs because empowering women is a top priority.
But meeting people with H.I.V. and AIDS — men, women, and children, especially children — is a life-changing experience, believe you me.
The struggle people have just to claim their place in society, losing the freedom to do as they please, other people being in control of their lives, always living in fear that somebody will find out about your health condition and you’ll be shunned once again.
Those are hard things to hear and see. They really are.
Read “A Global Concern” in the September 2024 edition of ONE.