Work
that Nireekshana is doing
Counselling & Treatment for HIV/AIDS Nireekshana
provides counselling for HIV/AIDS and also offers regular
medication and treatment. Nireekshana
gives treatment for secondary infections to improve the
quality of life of the infected patient. It provides preventive
medication and personal counselling to prevent promiscuous
sexual behaviour.
Test
Centres Nireekshana confirms the
HIV positive status through the Government of India centers
called VCTC (Voluntary Counselling & Testing Centres),
where the blood test is done for Rs.10/- only.
Advanced
Medical Care If the patient is very sick, Nireekshana
refers the case to Freedom Foundation for hospital care
as they have the facility for intensive medical care.
Awareness
Camps in Educational Institutions In this last year from
June 2004to February 2005 Nireekshana
has had opportunities to do programmes in 16-17 schools
and colleges and 4-5 other institutions. Nireekshana
emphasizes the importance of abstinence from sexual promiscuity
and encourages faithfulness in marriage, in contrast to
the condom giving programmes conducted by other agencies.
Awareness is through the medium of skits to teach the basics
of HIV/AIDS. Biblical perspective of managing sex is provided
and information is given through charts, overhead projector
slides and pictures.
Medical
Camps Nireekshana
has conducted 6-7 medical camps in Banjara and Lambadi settlements
(nomadic tribal groups) and in city slums of Hyderabad/Secunderabad.
Medical doctors volunteer to give treatment of all diseases
but look out for HIV/AIDS patients and give a special emphasis
to their needs.
Arpana
Child Support From January 2005, Nireekshana
is providing child support for children whose parents are
HIV infected. It began with 8 children and now has gone
up to 13 children. The support is towards school fees and
nutrition for the child and family.
Economic
Support for the Adults Older people also receive economic
support. A widower, whose wife was a victim of AIDS and
who is blind, receives economic support to educate his three
children. Two widows who are HIV patients also receive economic
support through Nireekshana
Rehabilitation
of Widows These are widows whose husbands died of AIDS and
who themselves are HIV positive, all 13 of them. An interest
free loan of Rs.5000-Rs.10000 is given to help them in income
generating businesses like a small goods store; a vegetable
vending shop; a telephone booth; a screen printing unit.
Most of these widows are turned away from their husband’s
families and are a financial burden for their own parents.
Micro loans like these not only help the widows but the
extended family.
