Asha for Education

Project Brief: Aims to provide education, shelter and health services to children affected by HIV/AIDS poor.
Project Type: Child Home (description)
Primary Focus: other (description)

Secondary Focus: other

Area: Tribal
Supporting Chapter Contact:
San Francisco

Status: CLOSED - ENDED
Project Steward: Madhura Raghavan
Co-Steward: Madhura Raghavan
Project Partner(s): Paulin Rani
Project Address: Pnuema Trust - Home for children
9-2, Balaji Street, Shanthi Nagar
Shanthi Nagar
Madurai, Tamil Nadu 625018
Tel: 0452-2660123
Stewarding Chapter: San Francisco

Pneuma (Professional Network for the Emancipation of the Under-Privileged Masses) Trust, based out of Madurai in Tamilnadu, is an organization founded in 2003 that aims to create health, education, social, and legal awareness among the poor.

According to India’s National AIDS Control Organization, TamilNadu is identified as one of the six high prevalence states in India. Madurai district was identified as a high prevalence area by the Tamilnadu State AIDS Control society. (Unofficial estimates for the number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Madurai range from 96,000 – 140,000).

Based on their interaction with several voluntary organizations and government agencies working for the cause of the HIV/AIDS infected, Pneuma members found out that children of HIV/AIDS infected parents were suffering from lack of proper educational facilities and parental guidance. They also found that such children were being exposed to illegal activities and were at risk of being forced into sex trafficking. In order to help children from Families affected by AIDS (FAAs), Pneuma started a home for such children in January 2006. The home provides food, clothing, and shelter free of cost for the children. The children are also sent to schools to continue regular education, and are given non formal education at the home. They are mostly orphans and semi-orphans of HIV/AIDS infected parents.

Pneuma currently only houses boys between ages 5 – 16, as they do not have the resources to accommodate girls. Many of the children housed in Pneuma are from rural areas of Madurai and nearby districts namely, Theni, Sivaganangai and Thirunelveli, whose parents came to Madurai for treatment.

The prominent issues faced by children from FAAs are as follows:
- Psychological stress caused by illness and death of parents, and ill-treatment by fellow students, play mates, sometimes even teachers and relatives.
- Economic hardship due to decreasing family income and increasing medical expenses.
- Lack of love, attention and affection due to the loss of a parent.
- Discontinuing education resulting from economic pressure and the responsibility of caring for parents and siblings.
- Malnutrition

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