Rays of Hope

Rays of Hope

Project Rays of Hope  works with HIV affected/ infected children in Pune and surrounding areas focusing on their nutrition so that they can lead a healthy life and get access to the opportunities for their development. Since its initiation in 2005, Project Rays of Hope has worked with 250+ families taking care of their nutritional needs and has extended counseling services whenever needed.

Providing a glimmer of hope for children affected/infected by HIV/AIDS

Project Rays of Hope was started in 2005 as a pilot in collaboration with Save the Children, Canada, and the UK. It aimed to work with HIV-infected/affected children focusing on their nutrition, education, support for medicines and hospitalization, and their overall development. Most of these children come from poor socio-economic backgrounds and have limited or no access to nutrition and supplements needed for them. It has a serious effect on their health, school continuity, and normal activities.

While working with these children living with HIV/AIDS, we realized that the main problem is ‘food insecurity and malnourishment’.

India is home to 46.6 million stunted children, a third of the world’s total as per Global Nutrition Report 2018. Nearly half of all under-5 child mortality in India is attributable to under nutrition.

So the ‘Rays of Hope’ Team decided to expand its focus from a child living with HIV/AIDS to a malnourished child.

Rays of Hope project has direct linkages to the following sustainable development goals(SDG):

  • 1. Goal No. 1: No Poverty
  • 2. Goal No. 2: Zero Hunger
  • 3. Goal No.3: Good Health and Wellbeing
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    Over the years the project activities evolved, while the focus remained the same. The different project activities include -

    • Address malnourishment issues of children by providing nutrition kits and supplements for the family every month
    • Monitor the health parameters of these children as per guidelines.
    • Support the cost of hospitalization and medication of HIV+ve children
    • Support for their educational fees and material
    • Create awareness about their rights and work towards protecting their rights
    • Provide counselling services for them and their families to overcome emotional distress and other challenges.
    • Create awareness about different Govt. schemes which are offered for them.
    • Offer different exposure activities to widen their horizon and increase inclusivity.
    • Promote education/vocational training to improve their employability leading to financial independence

    Children infected/affected by HIV/AIDS are referred to Swadhar by Govt. agencies. Other children registered under the project come from the different projects of Swadhar and from rural areas where no facilities are available to them. The Rays of Home team has developed a nutrition kit based on guidelines and in consultation with doctors and dieticians, which is provided every month to these children and their families. The team also conducts quarterly home visits to ensure the progress of children. These visits are done incognito, given the associated social stigma in the case of children affected by HIV/AIDS.

    Rays of Hope has been supporting close to 330 families as of now. Over the years we have observed positive changes in the children whom we are supporting. The ration kits help them with access to better nutrition which leads to weight gain, better attendance in schools, and reduced frequency of falling sick which enables them to carry on with routine activities.

    While new medicines have significantly reduced the chances of HIV virus passing on from mother to a new-born child, and there is awareness about the disease/ importance of nutrition, the stigma still remains…and hence the need to work with these children as well as children who are malnourished because of poverty

    Nutrition, care, and protection for a healthy childhood and a chance to lead a normal life…