HIV positives face hand-to-mouth problem

ISHWORI NEUPANE

POKHARA, Nov 10 - Eleven HIV positive persons from six districts, who have been staying in a rented house with some farmland in Saldanda of Kaski since some months, said that they were now facing problems to make their ends meet, thanks to dwindling foodstuff they had ...

...from their homes and lack of assistance from benevolent organizations. The HIV positives, of whom two are children, hailing from Baglung, Gorkha, Syangja, Parbat, Kaski and Dhading districts, said that they had chosen to "rehabilitate themselves" by forming a small group among people sharing a common illness because the society looked down on them.

"The debts at our grocers have run up and our families stopped providing us continued  support," said Ukal Bataju.

According to him, they wanted to demonstrate to the society, which had largely looked at them with disdain for being HIV positives, that they too can lead a happy life despite the disease.

"We wanted to prove that HIV positives are no different from others and are also capable of doing physical labour for their livelihood like other healthy people," he said, adding, "But the meagre harvest from a small plot of land here and lack of support from well wishers are factors creating a big problem for our livelihood now.

"Many people come here regularly and praise our struggle," laments another group member Laxmi Adhikari. "And they return showering assurances but never show up again.

Among the five women and four men living in the stone-mud house, five are also taking anti-retroviral medicines.

They are keeping goats and chicken, besides cultivating a small plot of fallow land nearby with paddy, vegetables and fruits.

"We just want to give the message to others that HIV positive people can work," said Bishnumaya Nepali. "Our mission can be accomplished if we get a little support from those innumerable organizations who claim to be working for the HIV positive people.

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