CONCEPT ON
QUALITY LIFE TO 620 HIV INFECTED CHILDREN IN SALEM
- Background Information about the Organisation
Salem Social Service Society (SSSS) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization working with schedule tribes, schedule castes and marginalized sections across Salem and Namakkal districts of Tamil Nadu, since 1968. The vision of SSSS is “The Realization of Social Justice and Peace” for the poor and marginalized children, youth and women through the process of empowerment and its mission is ‘To Proclaim Liberty to the Captives’ of neocolonialism and socioeconomic, political and cultural exclusion.
At the outset of SSSS in 1968, charity based works being carried out, and then relief and rehabilitation programmes were promoted concurrently. In early 1980’s SSSS shifted over to developmental approach and executed community development programmes. In recent years, SSSS works with the targeted communities by the essence of the Millennium Development Goals of overwhelming poverty, achieving compulsory primary education, empowering women, reducing child morbidity and mortality, improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, protecting the environment and building and build Global partnership for their development. SSSS has built better professional rapport with the community and the institutions across Salem and Namakkal districts of Tamil Nadu.
SSSS has been enabling the targeted communities in Salem and Namakkal districts of Tamil Nadu for empowerment. The major past and current activities of SSSS are.
- Raised 1354 women groups for livelihood and right based activities. About 227 tribal groups are formed in Kolli Hills and Kalvarayan Hills. A significant number of groups belong to Dalit communities. Involved in the process of empowering the Dalit and Tribal women.
- Imparted vocational skill trades to youth belonging to schedule tribes, schedule castes and most backward castes
- Provided low cost housing for Yercaud Tribes and Srilankan Tamil Refugees in the camps of Salem district.
- Distributed 40 acres of land as house sites to the poorest of the poor in Koneripatti village in Salem district.
- Fostering and caring the HIV infected and affected children in Salem and Namakkal districts.
- Providing educational support to Dalit, Tribal and most backward children and enabling the children to continue their school education.
- Promoting Computer education for Dalit and Tribal adolescents and youth and facilitating them to avail better employment.
- Promoting native medicare and health and hygiene to families belonging to schedule tribes, schedule castes and most backward castes
- Advancing environment protection programmes in participation and contribution of the rural masses.
- Project Description
2.1.Project Title
Quality life to 620 HIV infected children in Salem.
2.2.Project Rationale
SSSS has conducted a descriptive research to observe the plight of the HIV infected children in Salem district. About 620 HIV infected children were identified and interviewed.The following problems were observed:
The infected parents are not in a state of better economy and health to care their children. About 79 children have lost both the parents to the infection and about 67 children have lost their parents. Around 55 per cent of the male parents are migrant workers.
Most of the children belong to low income group. Most of the families are not able to nuture their children in the right direction. Many children are observed to be weak in health and they are not provided proper nutritional food and medicine to enhance their health.
A majority of the parents have not disclosed the HIV status to their children, which has created anxiety and panic among the children without knowing about what happen in their family.
Around 59 infected children have dropped their school education owing to poor health and economic status.
The children living in a far-flung areas have to travel a long distance to access and avail the formal school education. The school teachers are unknown about the HIV status of the children, and these children are not provided special consideration to strengthen their educational standard.
The children whose HIV identity known to the community are at the peril of social stigma.The orphaned children are exploited in many forms, especially the girl children are susceptible to exploitation.
It could be inferred from the above analysis that the social, economic and psychological aspects of the HIV infected children are deteriorating, which push the children into poor intake of food, poor health and hygiene, lack of education and lack of knowledge on various resources and services that effect to poor quality of life. Through this project it has been planned to promote, nutrition, education and health supports to 620 HIV infected children to enrich their quality of life. In furtherance, to conduct life skill education to the children to enhance their self-confidence and self-esteem to face the life challenges. Concurrently depositing a fixed amount in the name of the infected children in banks, and which will be availed by them after a period of 5 years to 10 years for their future careers.
2.3.Project Goal
To ensure enriched quality of life with dignity among 620 HIV infected children in Salem district in Tamil Nadu.
2.4.Project Objectives
To enhance the health aspects of the infected children through nutritional and medicinal supports.
To increase the educational standard of the infected children through educational support.
To create a safety net for the protection of the HIV infected children against exploitation.
2.5.Project Interventions
Provide food provisions for 620 infected children each month.
Conduct health programmes to strengthen the health of the 620 infected children.
Provide tuition fees for 620 infected children to enhance their educational standard.
Conduct life skill programmes for the infected children to build their capacities.
Create bank accounts for the infected children and deposit the amount in fixed deposit.
Conduct community meetings to create an enabling environment for the vulnerable children.
2.6.Project Impacts
- All the focused HIV infected children will have the longevity of quality life through enhanced nutritional and health supports.
- A significant proportion of the infected children will have completed their school and higher education, and will have better careers.
- A good number of the infected children will have self-confidence and self-esteem to face the challenges in the present and future lives.
- All the focused orphan and vulnerable children will have secured state of living through the safety net.
- The HIV infected children through the project action will have enriched quality of life with dignity.
2.7.Monitoring and Evaluation
The field organisers will interact with the infected children and their family members, and they will be responsible in carrying out the planned tasks. The project components will be monitored by the Secretary and the Coordinator. They will make frequent visits to the field to observe the project progress. An external evaluator will assess the project action and its impacts on the infected children.
2.8.Reporting
The reports will be dispatched promptly and photos if the HIV infected children’s parents or guardian wished to display it, then the same will be attached to the observance of the donors. All relevant documents will be submitted to the perusal of the donors.
- Project Budget Costs
S.No / Budget Item / Unit / No. of Units / Unit Cost / Amount (USD)
1 / Educational support for infected children (620 children x $25 per child/year) / Per child / 620 / 25 / 15500
2 / Health care programs for infected children (620 children x $30 per child/year) / Per child / 620 / 30 / 18600
3 / Nutritional support for infected children (620 children x $45 per child/year) / Per child / 620 / 55 / 27900
4 / Financial support for infected children (300 children x $100 per child/year) / Per child / 300 / 100 / 30000
5 / Life skill programs for infected children (10 life skill programs x $450 per program) / Per program / 10 / 450 / 4500
6 / Salary to field organisers (5 Fos x $500 per year) / Per person / 5 / 500 / 2500
Grand Total (USD) / 99000
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