About 25 years ago, when he was a boy, Makeshwar served food at a roadside hotel in the Jamui District of Bihar, India. He was a child labourer, and so was his friend Rajesh, who worked as a kitchen helper. One day, two staff members from ChildFund`s local partner Parivar Sevar walked in, and Makeshwar and Rajesh’s lives changed forever. Once connected with ChildFund, the boys became sponsored, enrolled in school and eventually obtained good jobs. Nonetheless, Makeshwar and Rajesh never forgot where they came from.
Constantly reminded of their past, the young men showed a keen interest in the poverty stricken areas of their district. With continuous visits and research, they concluded that lack of education and an absence of community engagement were the major contributing factors to the conditions of the underdevelopment. Together with two other friends – who were also sponsored by ChildFund as children, they began to organise community meetings and left their own jobs in order to pursue their passion of making a change.
In 1999, the four friends opened a not-for-profit called Samagra Seva, loosely translating to ‘complete service’. Dedicated to helping children and families in their local district, the organisation has since focused on health and education to make a change to the lives of thousands of children. Samagra Seva has developed alliances with several NGOs such as the National Foundation for India and UNICEF, and had their work promoting children`s rights recognised nationally and internationally.
Last month, Makeshwar and his organisation collaborated with ChildFund for the launch of their second phase of the Books, My Friends program €“ to improve the literacy rates of children throughout India. In the first phase, ChildFund donated books and tote bags to thousands of children to encourage them to practice reading for pleasure; the second phase is focused on removing existing barriers to education, commencing with the distribution of solar lanterns to children and families in rural areas without electricity.
Makeshwar and his organisation have already donated 30 solar lanterns to adolescent girls from the Dalit and tribal communities of Juami. They have also made a commitment to provide solar lanterns to 50 more girls in the area.
“Without help, we all would have ended up as daily wage labourers. We will always remain indebted to ChildFund and our sponsors. We have taken a vow, and we will continue to serve underprivileged children and help them live with dignity,” Makeshwar says.
Overcoming HIV discrimination is vital for both preventing infection, and ensuring people living with HIV have access to treatment. This World AIDS Day, we applaud the work of community volunteers like Tam.
Tam, from Bach Thong in Bac Kan province, was diagnosed with HIV in 2007, after she was infected by her drug-addicted husband. “Everything collapsed in front of my eyes when hearing the news. At that time, my son was just two years old. How can he live if both parents are HIV-positive?” Tam recalls.
“A cousin in my husband’s family introduced me to a peer group. We had monthly meetings and discussed the treatment methods as well as other life skills. I found a place where I could be myself,” she says.
At the time, the peer group in Bac Kan province had many members coming from a nearby district. Tam was recognised as an active member and was encouraged to set up an additional group in Bach Thong.
Around the globe, a range of awareness campaigns have been implemented to increase people’s understanding about HIV and AIDS. Peer groups have been one of the most successful models applied at the community level. Despite having one of the highest populations of HIV-positive people in the entire province, no support groups were available in Bach Thong.
“I found it hard to run such a group at the beginning. Many things were new to me. I did not know how to make plans, organise activities or motivate people to participate. I had to learn how to help people be open and feel confident about their future.
“Many of the participants, once they proved positive, lived in their shells. It was really hard to for me to draw them out,” says Tam.
Besides the support from her peer group, Tam also participated in ChildFund-supported activities designed to support peer group leaders. Many former peers undertake this training, sharing their personal experiences and providing guidance to new leaders.
“We share not only our understanding about HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment, but also income-generation activities. For my group in Bach Thong, we have set up a brick production workshop and, with other families, now have a sustainable income to help with raising our children,” Tam says.
Tam’s success as a peer group leader is clearly evident. Her Bach Thong group continuously supports over 115 members and Tam organises training and information sharing sessions for participants. Not only that, but Tam is now a leader in her wider community, providing direct support to 60 vulnerable children affected by HIV and AIDS.
