Nagpur: Archbishop Abraham Viruthakulangara of Nagpur Saturday opened a new building for a four-year-old center for children of those afflicted with HIV/AIDS.

Ashakiran (ray of hope) is an initiative of Sister Pooja, a member of the St John the Baptist (SJB) congregation, who has been working among such children since 2011.

In his homily during the Mass, Archbishop Viruthakulangara commended the SJB nuns for their determination and planning to venture into a frontier mission.

“It is not easy to take care of the less privileged. It is a special service,” the prelate said.

According to Sr Pooja, Nagpur, the winter capital of Maharashtra state, has thousands of children who have lost one or both their parents to HIV/AIDs. “These children used to roam the streets without food and shelter.”

She said she discovered these children when she visited families as part of her work in the archdiocese’s social service center.

Abp Viruthakulangara blessing the new building

“As no one cared for these children, neighbors, relatives and shopkeepers took advantage of them. On the other side, the children were happy to do some odd jobs to get some money to buy food.”

Sr Pooja then took leave from social service center to focus on the vulnerable section of society.

“Ashakiran aims to empower and help HIV/AIDs children get access to education, healthcare, counseling and guidance so that they can become better citizens,” Sr Pooja explained her plans to Matters India.

She said the children come to them when are in the age group of 5 and 10. The center accepts HIV negative children irrespective of their religion or caste Now that they have a spacious house they will also accept children who are HIV positive.“These orphans and semi orphans are provided facility to attend regular schools.”

The children quickly adapt to the new situation and accept each other as sibling. They also help one another.

The children are keen to study. They also get training in dance, music, drawing and computers while attend regular school.

Sister Pooja also said her center focuses on the children’s background and gives special care for the ill and those weak students.

The nuns also visit the houses of HIV/AIDS patients to help them accept the reality of life and begin a new life. Some families drive away widows after her husband dies of AIDS, she said.

“Some in-laws send away their widowed daughters-in-law to their parent’s home and sell her children. “In such instances our family visits give a new lease of life to the widows. We also try to educate the family members to take the responsibility of their sons’ families.”

According Sr Pooja, most male HIV/AIDS patients are truck drivers.

Sister Pooja with a child

At present, Ashakiran has 15 children. Two of them study in an English medium school and rest in a Marathi medium school. The children, she said, are good in studies.

She said after they shift their residence to the new building the children will continue to attend the same schools. “The schools do not want to leave them,” she added.

“They are best students in the school,” Sr Arpita, the congregation’s provincial told Matters India.

A few children have relatives who come to meet them on weekends. However the center takes care of the children entirely with the help of sponsors. The oldest girl is in the twelfth grade.

The congregation was founded by Fr John Maria Haw, in 1919 in Germany.

He began his mission of love and compassion among the victims of First World War in Leutesdorf, a small village on the banks of Rhine River.

The first house in India was opened on June 26, 1971, at Wardha, a town in Maharashtra state.

At present, 133 nuns in 25 communities serve schools, hospitals and health centers in nine Indian dioceses.

They have two Indian communities in Germany where 10 sisters work in hospitals.