HIV-positive siblings pin their hopes on Chandy

[Guest guest]

HIV-positive siblings pin their hopes on Chandy

Published: Monday, 20 June, 2005, 11:50 AM Doha Time

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Two HIV-positive children in

Kerala who depend on charity for their existence are

hoping Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will help them

when they meet him today.

For 10-year-old Bency and nine-year-old Benson, the

meeting with Chandy comes after they have been hit

hard by several setbacks, including the loss of their

parents.

“Tomorrow we are going to meet an important person and

my grandmother has asked us to pray to god so that we

get some help,” Bency said yesterday.

They lost their father in 1999 and their mother a year

later - both to Aids. Last January, they lost their

grandfather who had put up a determined struggle to

get them admitted to school in the face of stiff

opposition from the public.

“We are in a new school and I am learning the

computer. Things are moving forward and we are

thankful to our church, which is meeting the expenses

of our transportation in an auto rickshaw everyday,”

said Bency.

After the death of their grandfather, a retired army

man, their financial problems increased.

“When he was alive we used to get Rs2,700 as pension.

After his death, despite several attempts I am yet to

get the widow’s pension which would work out to

Rs1,400,” said grandmother Sallykutty.

“Tomorrow we are going to meet Chief Minister Chandy,”

she said.

“I am an asthma patient and have eye problems. We hope

the chief minister will extend some help,” said

Sallykutty, breaking down.

She said despite the medical expenses of the children

being taken care of by Hindustan Latex, “we require at

least Rs3,000 for food expenses”.

“For the past five months we were surviving on what we

received from several people as donations,” said

Sallykutty.

The children’s uncle, Sallykutty’s son, too is helping

them but after his six-month-old child was diagnosed

with kidney ailments, he has been unable to contribute

anything.

“He wants to help the children, but with his salary he

can’t take care of the medical expenses of his own

child,” she said.

“Why is life so cruel, I don’t know the answer. Would

someone explain to me?” sobbed Sallykutty. -

Indo-Asian News Service

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2 & item_no=41248 & version=\

1 & template_id=40 & parent_id=22

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum members,

How distressing to read this story that two-HIV positive children in Kerala who

depend on charity for their existence are now having to pin their hopes for

survival in a meeting with Chief Minister Oomen Chandy. How did it get to this?

It's the ingoing saga of 10 year old Bency and nine year old Benson whose story

we ...The Australian AIDS Fund incorporated....carry on the Schools AIDS Day

page and the India page of our website www.aids.net.au in Australia.

It is not so long ago that these young children, together with their

grandfather, met with the President....photographs of which we posted with some

joy on our website. And now, so quickly abandoned.

I, Haill, the founder/president of the Australian AIDS Fund...a small

Catholic AIDS charity based in Melbourne am obliged to ask the question: " Has

India no soul or no shame? "

Are the faces of Benson and Bency truly the faces of modern day India? Surely

not?

Would someone who may have access to the media in Kerala express..on our

behalf... the concerns of the Australian people at the way these two young

children are being basically left to their plight?

How much does it cost to provide food to these children and their

grandmother...in terms of Australian dollars per month? Who would advise us?

The world outside India would like to be kept informed of the ongoing

developments in this story,especially the outcome of the meeting with Chief

Minister Chandy.

Could someone who shares our concern for these childrenplease post up an email

address for Chief Minister Chandy, and local news editors..so that we may

communicate our concerns directly. Perhaps this message could also be passed to

a representative of the Indo-Asian News Service.

Signed:

Haill,

President,

The Australian AIDS Fund Inc.,

Melbourne, AUSTRALIA

Email: bhaill@...

Website: http://www.aids.net.au

[Guest guest]

Dear

Greetings from India!

I am an individual belonging to 'origin from a different country' still claiming

myself as an Indian - do you know why because i feel safe in India.

I came to india in search of seclusion while my country of origin had racial

calamities and my family was thrown out with all our money and properties lost

and burnt - who accepted us, none other than India.

Stop comparing countries and people. We probably do not know the local

situations. We cannot comment or make general statements without knowing the

current situation or getting first hand information. I would have been happy if

you would have first attempted to carry out to know the first hand information

and then attempted to do your best from your side - then it speaks of you being

so humble!

For your information India with all our problems - Kashmir, Bhuj - earthquake,

tsunami etc. are still attempting to solve our own problems and do not wait for

you people to come and help us. Help today is got from other countries and

accepted by India on empathetical grounds and not on sympathetic grounds.

First of all in the case of the two children i think the following has taken

place and i am willing for any correction if pointed out;

1. Both the children have been un ethically exposed to the media;

2. If Sushma Swaraj has been involved in some way or other with photographs and

posters taken with the children, NACO should have ensured that mere posters of

them would not do but a long term sustained rights of these children should have

been ensured;

3. It is high time that NACO incorporates the needs of the OVC and CAA within

their existing budget and priorities rendered to them with no dependencies made;

4. International agencies if willing to work in India, should cater to the needs

of the OVC and CAA in India with immediate effect because there are so many

hidden bensens and bencies and not only in Kerala;

5. It is simple....whomsoever has been working with these two children so far in

terms of exposing them to the media..etc. should do none other than produce the

children to the child welfare committee of the state (CWC) for which the latter

has been created and the solution comes by itself, where in their major work is

to resolve situations of need with the rights of the child being safeguarded and

in this case it would be speaking about the children's right to safety and

security (protective rights), right to education and living, etc.

6. Last but not least we from SFDRT in Pondicherry are working with the OVC and

CAA for the past 4 years with support so far, but learnt to live with the

funding disabilities having so much of confidence in us and have began to accept

and render institutionalized and out reach services to all children (who ever we

come across) in need of the CAA and OVC.....without any dependence on funding.

Therefore Benny and Bency can join us straight away if no other organizations

from Kerala are willing to take them without any dependencies.

Agreed sometimes we need a shake! but not at the country's sake

Let us be careful in words while we are tensed...to pull out ways and means to

deal with situations rather than comment.

We how ever welcome your help in need!

With warm regards

Shyamala Ashok

E-mail:aabinand@...