Palawi Project under Prabha Hira Pratisthan Trust.

The Palawi under Prabha Hira Pratisthan is an organization in Maharashtra which is considered as one of the hard-hit states in India in terms of prevalence of HIV/AIDS. The Palawi is only such institution in Maharashtra which has focused on providing solutions and system-change for people living with HIV/AIDS Over a period of 18 years Palawi has developed various programs and innovated multiple ideas to target the most-at - risk populations. Creating awareness among different strata of population. And providing a residential care home services for orphan children and people living with HIV/AIDS. It has served as a signboard for HIV positive orphan children in state of Maharashtra. According to The Times of India published an article on April 16, 2019 Maharashtra tops in HIV-related deaths in 2018-19. The state has earned the dubious distinction of recording the highest number of HIV-related deaths (1,509) in the country in 2018-19. 

The care-home for HIV positive orphan children at ‘Palawi” caters to all the basic needs of these children - emotional, educational, social and medical needs. As such various activities undertaken at ‘Palawi’ to cater to the needs of the HIV positive children are as follows –

1. HIV Care Treatment Home -

Palawi is first of its kind in Maharashtra which provides a holistic approach to HIV positive children’s health and well being. Today at Palawi we run a successful residential Care Home for 110 HIV positive orphan children between the age of 1.6 months to 21 years. The children are from Maharastra. They have come to the care home with the reference of local hospitals, NGO’S, childcare institutions and some children were abandoned at the Railway Station or Bus Stand.

At present we have a small building at Parandharpur as residential care home for the children. Palawi provides a holistic approach to children’s health and well-being. It provides a safe, caring and stigma free environment for them and helps give them the best possible start in life by providing love, care and support.

2. Skill Development -

The key to empowerment lies in self-reliance, self-sufficiency through economic development. A higher level of social, legal and political awareness can be achieved by developing economy of marginalized people.

At Palawi Vocational Training Program is introduced to enhance the livelihood opportunities of HIV –positive women and elder children. The Vocational Training Program aims to develop entrepreneurial skill among them. The children are trained to make applique-work quilts, environment friendly bags made from discarded saris, door mats, bags, etc. The objective is to create a workforce empowered with improved skills and knowledge in order to gain access to decent employment and become self sustained.

3. Education -

Education is an important medium of acquiring skills and knowledge. It brings positive change in human life. In the case of HIV positive children education intrinsically offer hope, as it always has, that individuals and communities may rise above any circumstances. Unfortunately, education, just like health and social support is hardly accessible to the HIV- positive children.

We have established our own Educational Unit at Palawi. Since getting a formal education for HIV – Positive kids at any formal school was strenuous due to social stigma attached to it. In 2007 Palawi started ‘Vishwa Kalyan Gyanmandir”. By 2013 the Educational Unit was developed from class 1 -10th. It is a self reliant school. We have a flourishing school with 6 teachers and 4 non-teaching staff. We follow the Maharashtra SSC Board curriculum. . Our institution aims to provide all the contemporary modern educational system.

 

Curbing the HIV epidemic necessitates broadening the scope of services beyond health, to encompass nutrition, psycho-social support, education, legal, livelihood and social protection. Since 2001 till today there is visible growth in the numbers of HIV –positive children residing in the care home. It started with 2 children in 2001 and continuously grew having 32 children in 2005, 49 in 2010, 68 in 2016 and 110 children in 2019 The care home is designed to provide a comfortable, learned, healthy and happy life to HIV positive children. Since the number of infected children residing in care home has grown over the years, it is a necessity to have better Educational infrastructure and Medical unit in order to have basic comfortable life

Expansion of Medical and Educational facility at Palawi. It is necessary to focus on all vulnerable population. HIV positive orphan children being one of them, there is no reason why these children are not given proper nutrition, medication, education and good life. We have seen a drastic growth in the number of HIV positive children since 2001 to 2019. These vulnerable children have nowhere else to go – their parents have died and their distant relatives have abandoned them. This number is still on rise and Palawi will continue in its endeavor to provide them the life that they deserve as humans. Let there be no child left without access to education, sanitation, health and all-round social development just because the child is HIV positive.