Prajeet Thapa

“HIV infected Orphans needs Shelter” A visitor to Prerana Butwal care centre is welcomed with a cheerful smile and hug from a child, Prajeet Thapa

(name changed). He is 4 years old and has been living at Prerana’s care home for the last two years. His father,

a recovering alcoholic was a dysfactional adult who has failed to manage his home. There is no trace of

Prajeet's mother since the time he has been staying at Prerana Butwal care centre. Likewise, no other family

and relatives have ever visited him since his stay with Prerana.

However, Prerana care home has made Prajeet feel loved and cared for in meeting most of his needs. He

remains usually cheerful and never worries of not being with his biological parents. Prajeet was first

introduced to Prerana in January 2009 as a referral case by Naulo Ghumti-Butwal Branch; another partner

organization working in HIV & AIDS in Butwal. This followed his diagnosis as HIV positive child in October 2008. At his arrival

Prajeet's health was in bad shape. He had skin rashes all over his body, speech problems, resented everybody at the centre and was

very passive.

To date, Prajeet's next of kin have not been identified despite efforts made by Prerana to trace them for his family reintegration.

Henceforth, Prerana Butwal has continued to accommodate and provide him with services overlapping the project period and

Prerana has been compelled to care for Prajeet as an abandoned child with the heart of service for humanity.

Prerana Butwal has taken good care of him very well, providing him with treatment on his skin rashes, clothing, accommodation

and food. Prerana also provides child friendly DIC to help him cope well psychologically with his life and disease. At present his

condition has improved significantly. He can talk properly, has become physically active, gets along well with everyone at the

centre and he is always the first friend for any visitors at the centre. As Prajeet is of school going age, Prerana has ensured he

enrolled to a school near to Prerana’s care centre. He has shown good learning abilities within a short time. Now he calls the

kitchen/ centre assistant as his mother and he is so fond of her he shares the same room with her, this has bonded them quite well

for which the centre administrator calls Prajeet his son.

Prerana took the initiative for his education in coordination with a local boarding school and all the costs have been met by the

District Child Welfare Board (DCWB), Rupendehi. In the same way, Prerana has taken in another nine children with similar

situations as Prajeet’s. The challenge will be to provide long term services for these children and to re-integrate them with their

next of kin. We hope to collaborate and seek for support from other stakeholders in meeting their needs more especially for their

health and education as they grow up. We need joint effort of community, Government and other stakeholders to support these

children for their fundamental rights.

This is just one child: Prajeet Thapa, who Prerana is looking after since the last 2 years. However there might be many more

children in our communities, who are in need of our services to give hope in their life and a bright future.