HIV+ woman triumphs, goes back to work

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HIV+ woman triumphs, goes back to work

Aug 19, 2010,

PUNE: This is about the triumph of human spirit and doggedness, and about how a

community can come together to dispel HIV-related misconceptions. So, even

though it took her some time, this 28-year-old woman, who is HIV positive as is

her six-year-old daughter, managed to convince the villagers of Longe, Kolhapur,

that neither she nor her daughter are a threat to society. This August, the

Longe gram panchayat " respectfully requested her to return as an anganwadi

worker and allowed her daughter to attend the village school. "

The woman told TOI, " I am relieved that I can live with dignity. This is an

important win. "

It all started in early 2009. Sanjeevani Kulkarni, founder-president of NGO

Prayas, that works for the uplift and fair treatment of the HIV-affected,

narrated the woman's story. " Her husband was first detected with HIV in early

2009 at the village primary healthcare centre. She too underwent the test. Both

the woman and her daughter tested positive, though her older son did not, " she

said. " When the villagers came to know their status, they were not

uncooperative. They helped the family in many ways. "

Eventually, the woman's husband passed away in late 2009. Though she continued

to be in good health several eyebrows were raised at the fact that she was an

anganwadi sevika. " Parents were worried that her proximity to their children

would prove detrimental to their health and well-being and that her little

daughter would pass on the infection to other children in the village school.

Now these worries are neither scientific nor logical. Nevertheless, she was

asked to stay home with the promise that her salary would be sent to her. Her

daughter was denied admission to the school. When this state of existence was

unacceptable to her, the woman left the village with her children, " Kulkarni

said.

She went to Mumbai this June and got in touch with the media, as well as various

NGOs that work for the HIV positive. Her voice was heard and gradually the

wheels of hope began spinning once again, especially when tehsildar Vijaya

Jadhav got to know of the situation.

A meeting with the gram sabha of Longe village was initiated. Officials from the

district HIV programme, various NGOs like the Network of Positive People, Lotus

Medical Foundation, Red Cross Society, Sakhi Sanghatan and Jeevan Jyot, as well

as members of the Maharashtra State Aids Control Society were present.

At the meeting, Sanjeevani Kulkarni and Pravin Naik, district HIV programme

officer, Kolhapur, put to rest every niggling suspicion and query in the

villagers' mind. " The meeting lasted for over two hours, and we were successful

in convincing the villagers that the woman and her child were far from being a

threat, " said Kulkarni. " The villagers promised to look after her and her

daughter in every way. "

Drupada Kumhare, sarpanch of Longe, said, " We are convinced that there is no way

that one can get infected with HIV just by coexisting with a positive person. "

Deputy sarpanch Subhash Patil said, " We were afraid that our children could get

infected if her daughter would play with them. But now we know that there is no

such chance. "

A village-level committee comprising the sarpanch, deputy sarpanch as well as

members of the village conflict redressal committee will support the woman. " She

is in good health. And so far, there has been no need for anti-retroviral

therapy for her, " added Kulkarni.

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