Official launch of project and consultative discussion on August 10
Dimapur, August 8 (MExN): Prodigals’ Home (PH) since June 2010 has started to implement a project entitled “Facilitating Sustained and Integrated Community Based Response for Children affected by AIDS and Vulnerable Children in Dimapur, Nagaland.” The initiative is being supported by UNICEF with the chief objective of creating a sustainable support system for the children. Under the initiative, the PH will facilitate in networking and linkage. An official launch of the project and a consultative discussion on the issues confronting the targeted children is scheduled to be held on August 10 at AIDA conference Hall at 10 am.
Giving a brief introduction to the project, PH Director K. Ela mentioned that a mapping of the needs of Children Affected by AIDS and Vulnerable Children and Sensitization of Stakeholders on their issues was carried out from August 2008 to December 2008 in the District of Dimapur. The study under the aegis of UNICEF (Joint UN initiative) helped the stakeholders to identify various issues and lacunas related to Children Affected by AIDS and Vulnerable Children.
During the period, some of the significant observations made includes; Lack of strong networking/coordination between providers of service for the children and those working with children. Consequently support system for the children weak and uncoordinated; Community generally ignorant and insensitive to the issues of Children Affected by AIDS and Vulnerable Children; Potential service providers for the Children Affected by AIDS and Vulnerable Children are the Churches; however direction of resources to this social cause is either minimal or negligible owed mostly to ignorance about the issue coupled with lack of expertise to carry forward related programs for the Children Affected by AIDS and Vulnerable Children. A small portion of the Churches’ resources could be primarily minimally directed towards cause of children (sponsoring for education and vocational trainings, provision of nutritional packages, support for children programs); Children centre/institutions ill equipped (lack specialized counselors and health workers) and lack secured sustainability; Government response inadequate towards children issues (JJ Act and Child Labour Prohibition not implemented in spirit, Education programs not comprehensively being implemented); In the event of Programs (life coping skills, HIV prevention skills) centered on vulnerable children being absent, vulnerability of the children heightened and fuelling stigma about HIV.
These findings were presented to UNICEF and a proposal was drafted. The Proposal was accepted and UNICEF approved implementation of the Project from June 2010 till December 2011 as a pilot project. “Though Prodigals’ Home has been working on the issue of Children, HIV/AIDS and related issues, working with children infected/affected by HIV is a new venture. And as such cooperation is sought from well wishers and stakeholders to make our society and enabling society for such children,” Ela stated.
The project aspired to provide a sustainable and “stigma-free” environment to ensure that children who are vulnerable to HIV-infection or who are HIV-positive or otherwise affected by HIV/AIDS enjoy the same benefits and opportunities as all other children to develop their full potential.
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