Eye Opener: Sumanahalli HIV Rehabilitation Centre

(Journaled on March 16, 2012)

            Although I usually visit Sumanahalli on Tuesday or Thursday mornings, I decided to take advantage of an impromptu invitation from some classmates to join them in going to Sumanahalli after our Friday Population and Poverty class.  Unfortunately, my usual volunteering partners, Ashley and Sphoorti, were unable to come.  This change of company and time of visit proved to alter the volunteering experience.

Although there were a total of seven volunteers leaving from Christ College, we all separated into small groups for the auto ride.  The plan was that we would all catch separate autos, with Ana and I paired together, and meet at the Sumanahalli HIV Centre.  Ana and I were not expecting that we would be separated from the other volunteers for the majority of our visit.  The first event to contribute to our separation from the others is that our auto driver did not know where the Sumanahalli HIV Centre was located.  Essentially, he took us to the town of “Sumanahalli”, but then asked us which way to go. We were not sure of the directions and decided to ask a pedestrian for directions.  The male pedestrian insisted that the HIV Centre was walking distance and that he would walk us there.  After walking for a few minutes and being led to two facilities not related to HIV, Ana and I became weary of the once seemingly friendly and helpful pedestrian.  Even after we assured him that we did not want his assistance any more, he continued to trail behind us.  Ana and I finally found an auto driver that knew where the Sumanahalli HIV Rehabilitation Centre was located and, despite the efforts of the stalking pedestrian, the auto driver did not allow the pedestrian get into the auto with us.  Finally, after a two-kilometer auto ride, we were finally at the gates of the Rehabiliation Centre.

Ana and I arrived when the patients had fifteen more minutes of naptime.  We used these fifteen minutes to discuss what games we would play.  There is an “activity room” in the basement of the main office that has materials for arts and crafts.  These materials held a lot of potential for fun group activities, but it was more of an intimate setting socializing with the women within their home. 

Using what we had, note pads and pens, we taught the women how to play tic-tac-toe, drew for each other, folded paper into neat designs, and played music on Ana’s iPhone.  These games evolved into dancing, but it was quickly shut down when one of the staff came out of her office walking sternly and with purpose in our direction.  I quickly signaled to Ana for her to sit down, because it was clear from the patients’ reaction that dancing was not allowed.  This was surprising, because during my first volunteering session, Sphoorti and I were not reprimanded for playing the game of dancing pass-the-bottle.

The elderly woman sitting next to me was dreadfully thin.  Her oversized kurti was draping over her skeleton frame revealing her thighs that matched the size of my wrists.  This was one of the many reminders of the condition that these women are facing every day of their lives, HIV/AIDS.  Although I had previously felt that I had an understanding of the ailments that HIV/AIDS causes, I now feel that I have a more in depth understanding of what living with HIV means.  No academy-award-winning film or best-selling book can really capture what these women are facing.  The feeling of hugging her frail frame will be forever engrained in my memory.

One of the useful features on Ana’s iPhone was a frog-game.  The women were very intrigued by the game using the touch-screen.  In fact, as one of the women were intensely playing, her son reached over and she immediately scolded him and pushed his hand off of the screen.  The young boy quickly pulled back his hand and examined his finger as if there was something wrong with it.  He did not understand the concept of touch screen.  This struck me as ironic seeing that my little cousin, who is in around the same age as this young boy, knows how to use the iPhone better than most grown adults.

About one hour into our activities, three of the other volunteers, Sarah, Mya, and Julia, came walking from the street.  Sarah immediately pulled out a deck of cards and we started a round of games.  It was a lot of fun to communicate the object of different card games without using words, but physical gestures.

Before we knew it, it was time to start wrapping our activities up so the patients could go for chai-time.  We were saying our farewells and telling them to enjoy their chia when one of the women corrected us and communicated that chai-time is not for drinking chia, but for taking their HIV medications.  Apparently, the Sumanahalli staff call it “chia-time” for the sake of sounding less negative.  This made me wonder what other activities listed on the public “Daily Schedule” were also misrepresenting the reality. 

Street Children, HIV/AIDS, and Waste Management in India

Lauren Creamer

Professor: Suparna Majumdar Kar

Social Problems: Population and Poverty

20 March 2012

Final Report:

Street Children, HIV/AIDS, and Waste Management in India

Throughout the field study for Population and Poverty, one encountered different social problems that face Indian society.  The following report details three different social problems; street children, HIV/AIDS, and waste management, which were being addressed at the organizations that one volunteered for; BOSCO, Sumanahalli HIV Rehabilitation Center, and the Recycling Center at Christ University.  In addition to depicting the problems and the social organizations’ contribution, this paper describes and critically evaluates one’s individual impact on said social problems.

Street Children in India

Background

           

Unfortunately, there is not a universal definition of “street children”.  However, according to Youth Advocate Program International, "A street child is any boy or girl who has not reached adulthood, and for whom the street and unoccupied dwellings have become his/her home and/or source of livelihood. These children are neither protected, directed, nor supervised by adults.” (Youth Advocate Program International) Due to the undocumented nature of their existence, it is very difficult to account for the exact number of children that fit these criteria.  The latest estimate recorded that more than 400,000 of the 163,837,395 Indian child population are street children. (Youth Advocate Program International)  Children living and working on the street are subject to numerous exploitations including physical, emotional, and sexual.  (BOSCO)

BOSCO

In 1980, Bangalore Oniyavara Seva Coota (BOSCO) was founded in order to serve and advocate for young at risk in Bangalore, India.  The main factor that puts young at risk in India is living and working in the streets.  The following are the vision and mission statements from BOSCO’s website.

Vision

To build a community that will unreservedly care for its children through a preventive and promotional approach, which supports children and activates forces in the society that favor them. (BOSCO)

Mission

To encourage the young at risk to join the mainstream of society as educated and productive citizens by partnering with the children in their daily struggle to grow off the streets. (BOSCO)

            It is clear that BOSCO has been working hard for the past few decades in order to reduce the number of youth living on the street.  Over the years, BOSCO has aquired and maintained a total of seven rehabilitation centers for different age groups of youth. 

Personal Experience and Assessment

My role within BOSCO was a drop within the ocean.  Throughout my multiple visits, I would play and talk with the children for one to two hours at a time.  This was a small contribution towards entertaining the children.  In many ways, I believe that I got more from volunteering than the organization did.  In other words, I learned a lot from interacting with the children, but my presence was not necessary for the functioning of the center.  I am, however, confident that my cheery and fun attitude added to the happiness of the children that I played with.  I have scheduled a meeting with Kavita, the Human Resource Director of BOSCO Mane, in order to discuss my placement within their organization.  I am sure that I will be able to make a greater impact within BOSCO once I have placement that allows me to utilize my strengths in office management.

HIV/AIDS in India

Background

As of 2009, the estimated number of persons in India living with HIV was 2.39 million.  (AVERT) This massive population is not only facing the medical disease, but also isolation and scrutiny from their families and society as a whole.  Fear of being ostrasized often deters individuals from seeking HIV testing and or treatment.  (National AIDS Trust)  There is an enormous strain on HIV positive individuals which ultimately leads to additional issues.  The National AIDS Trust reported:

 “People with HIV/AIDS who hide their HIV status can be affected by depression, stress and social isolation. The need for secrecy about HIV status can also affect whether or not people are receiving life saving treatment, and adhering successfully to that treatment.” (National AIDS Trust)

            The spread of HIV/AIDS is definitately an obstacle facing the Indian community.  Unfortunately, a precident of secracy and shame has been set.  Thus, making it difficult to control the spread of the disease.

Sumanahalli HIV Rehabilitation Centre

In 2004 the Sumanahalli Leprosy Rehabilitation center expanded its resources to include services for HIV positive persons.  The vision and mission statements of the Sumanahalli HIV Rehabiliation Centre are as follows.

Vision

SUPPORT as an NGO for HIV/AIDS destitutes envisages a human fraternity that unreservedly cares for its own without caste, color, creed and religion through Preventive, Promotional and treatment approach to make them part of the society. (Sumanahalli HIV Center)

Mission

Looking at the problem of HIV/ AIDS with a positive approach to support the individuals to grow into holistically independent citizens. (Sumanahalli HIV Center)

Sumanahalli HIV Rehabilitation Centre’s role in the HIV positive community is very impactful.  This center focuses on treating the medical aspects of HIV/AIDS as well as treating the psychological aspects.  The medical downfalls of HIV/AIDS are addressed by providing education about proper treatment options.  In order to address the effects of being socially out casted from society, Sumanahalli provides extensive counseling in the form of one-on-one therapy, group therapy, and family therapy.  The holistic approach that the Sumanahalli HIV Rehabilitation Centre takes is the most effective in addressing the multifaceted nature of problems stemming from being diagnosed as HIV positive.

Personal Experience and Assessment

As noted above, persons in India who are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS are completely isolated from their families, communities, and society as a whole.  Thus, they are denied any human contact, let alone any love or affection.  As a volunteer at Sumanahalli, I organized and implemented moral-boosting activities for the female patients.  These activities included games of singing, dancing, drawing, problem solving, and playing cards.  I had hoped to lead more intellectual activities with the women, but the patients and I did not share a common language.  Nonetheless, the activities served the purpose of brightening the day of the female patients and taught me how to communicate without using linguistics.  My role within Sumanahalli was important, because I was giving the much-needed love, affection, and physical contact to HIV infected individuals.    

Waste Management in India

Background

           

According to NSWAI, waste management is defined as “the processes involved in dealing with the waste of humans and organisms, including minimization, handling, processing, storage, recycling, transport, and final disposal.” (NSWAI)  The organization and implementation of waste management processes differ greatly between developed nations, such as the United States, and developing nations, such as India.  The methods used throughout waste management have direct impacts on the health of populations, the environment, and the aesthetics of communities.  Waste management within India is currently in a state of disarray.  The India Together Newsletter reported:

“The new Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules 2000, which came into effect from January 2004, fail even to manage waste in a cyclic process. Waste management still is a linear system of collection and disposal, creating health and environmental hazards.” (Gupta)

In between 2001 and 2011, India’s population increased by 17.64%. (Census of India)  This drastic increase is having a direct impact on the amount to waste generated within India.  Another major factor that is intensifying the severity of India’s waste management situation is the continuing trend of migration toward urban cities.

Recycling Center at Christ University

           

The Recycling Center at Christ University, founded by Christ University’s Center for Social Action, has implemented a cyclic system of waste management within their campus in Bangalore, India.  The system includes the providing segregated waste collection bins throughout the campus, processing, recycling, then production and sale of paper products.  This system provides a source of income numerous women, which in turn benefits the community outside of the campus boundaries.  The vision and mission statement of Christ University’s Center for Social Action are as follows.   

Vision

"Every student is aware, sensitive, empathetic and contributing to sustainable changes in the society" (CSA)

Mission

"CSA is a centre for promoting volunteerism and enabling students to develop as socially responsible citizens through developmental initiatives" (CSA)

The Recycling Center at Christ University is setting an example of how to maintain a cyclic system for waste management.  In doing so, this center is experimenting with what methods of collection, separation, and processing are efficient versus those that are inefficient.

Personal Experience and Assessment

As a volunteer at the Recycling Center, I worked along side the full-time female employees in the Paper Center.  This center focuses on making paper and producing paper products for resale.   My role within the Paper Center was not necessarily helpful in the sector of production, because I was not very skilled at the tasks.  Despite my mediocre paper production skills, volunteering here was a great way to educate more people on how recycling processes can work within developing nations.  In other words, my volunteer hours were benefitting the cause in the sense that I am another person that is informed on the method of waste management; therefore, I am capable of spreading the knowledge of this process to others. 

Bibliography

AVERT. "India HIV & AIDS Statistics." AVERTing HIV and AIDS. 19 March 2012 <http://www.avert.org/india-hiv-aids-statistics.htm>.

BOSCO. "About BOSCO." BOSCO of Bangalore. 19 March 2012 <http://www.boscoban.org/about-bosco.html>.

Census of India. "Size, Growth, and Distribution of Population." 2011 Census of India. 19 March 2012.

CSA. "About Us." Center for Social Action. 19 March 2012 <http://www.csachristuniversity.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=41&Itemid=34>.

Department of Social Work and Centre for Social Action. "Zero Waste Management - Leap into Green." 19 March 2012 <http://www.christuniversity.in/uploadimages/Zero%20waste%20management-16-09-11.pdf>.

Gupta, Sanjay K. "Rethinking Waste Management." 2004. India Together. 19 March 2012 <http://www.indiatogether.org/2004/apr/env-rethink.htm>.

National AIDS Trust. "The Impact of HIV/AIDS Stigma And Discrimination." 15 February 2003. National AIDS Trust. 19 March 2012 <www.areyouhivprejudiced.org>.

NSWAI. "National Solid Waste Association of India." 19 March 2012 <http://www.nswai.com/>.

Sumanahalli HIV Center. "Support HIV Center." Sumanahalli. 19 March 2012 <http://sumanahalli.net/index.php/services/support-hiv-center.html>.

Youth Advocate Program International. "Street Children." 19 March 2012 <http://www.yapi.org/cmstreetchildren.pdf>.

Meditation and Playtime: BOSCO Mane

(Journaled March 14, 2012)

            I traveled to BOSCO Mane with my classmate, Ashley, on March 14^th 2012.  When we arrived, the children were transitioning from class time to meditation time.  We joined the children in their meditation and I observed how the different children were reaching different levels of concentration.  I was impressed to see a handful of students that were clearly deep into their meditation.  In fact, I was amused at the fact that I, a grown adult, was unable to concentrate as well as some of these 4-10 year olds.  Luckily, there was also a large portion of the class that was antsy and distracted.  Nonetheless, I was pleasantly surprised that all of the children were very well behaved.  These children have just been rescued from exploitation on the street and I was under the false assumption that children from these conditions would not easily conform to the behavior standards of a structured school environment.

            At first, the adult instructor led the meditation session, but mid-way the instructor discreetly asked one of the students to sit in front of the class and take over.  It was so beautiful to hear the young boy lead the class in chanting.  All of the children’s voices were very beautiful to listen to and I am sure that chanting was therapeutic for the children. 

Outdoor playtime followed immediately after the meditation session.  The walls of the private courtyard were painted with colorful cartoon images of nature and friendly-looking animals.  There was a wide variety of sports and games to play including football, cricket, volley ball, slides, monkey bars, and seesaws.  As soon as the gates were opened the children flooded the playing area grabbing their ball of choice and beginning small games.  I was bombarded with so many options of where to play with the children that I simply stood in the corner dumbfounded until one of the young boys kicked a ball in my direction.  From that point on, I was fully immersed in numerous games with the children.  Unfortunately, I could not remember all of their names, but I definitely recognized and was recognized by about a dozen of the children.  This helped a lot in relieving any shyness that they would have had.  As with most play sessions, the children were playing at 110% energy level for the entirety of the hour while my energy level began to dwindle down after 30-minutes or so.  Overall, it was a blast playing with all of them and I feel that my bubbly and goofy attitude added to their play experience.      

Although I am unaware of the specific nature of the exploitations that each of the children were escaping, I could see the pain written all over the children’s faces.  I was taken aback by how emotional I was during this visit.  There was not an event in particular that struck me as tragic, but it was just the situation in its entirety.  Talking and playing with all of these children made me realize that their laughter was merely masking their underlying wounds.