Asha for Education

Project Brief: Founded in 1983 HUT helps community members access their basic human rights. The only way to lift rural people of Tamil Nadu out of the grip of poverty is through providing basic education and healthcare for all community members, regardless of gende
Project Type: Residential School (description)
Primary Focus: orphans (description)

Secondary Focus: health and cleanliness

Area: Rural
Supporting Chapter Contact:
Silicon Valley

Status: CURRENT
Project Steward: Zainab Jamal
Project Partner(s): Dr Raja Venkatesh
Project Address: Human Uplift Trust - AIDS Orphans Education Project
164, MM Plaza, 1st Floor
Trichirapalli Main Road,
Perambalur, Tamil Nadu 621005
Tel: 91-98424-62930
Stewarding Chapter: Silicon Valley

India's National AIDS Control Organization estimates that 5.7 million people of its people are HIV positive. Tamilnadu is identified as one of the six high prevalence states in India. While the Government of Tamilnadu official number of reported AIDS cases in Perambalur is only 1,029, the district was identified as a high prevalence area by the Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control society.Also there are nearly 200 AIDS orphans in the district, and 25 children between 2-10 years of age who are HIV positive (AIDS Orphans – A child who has lost one or both the parent to AIDS before reaching the age of 18.)

The main brunt of attack of the disease is borne by the women and children from the affected families. The women find themselves as widows by the time they come to know that their spouse is HIV positive.HUT in the process of addressing the medical and psychological needs of the HIV positive people found that the greatest concern of these people was about the future of their children.

HUT realized that all the years of development work put in by voluntary organizations and government agencies were fast wheeling back as the consequence of the disease. And with careful analysis of the lives of the clients suggested that the worst affected was the future generation, which due to lack of proper educational facilities and parental guidance where exposed to the risk of resorting to illegal activities and girl facing the risk of being dragged into sex trafficking. This increases the danger of scaling up the HIV/AIDS infection scenario.
Sensing the urgency of the problem and realizing that very little is being done in this regard, HUT decided to intervene in the consequences of the disease. With the vast experience gained from the education project of 20 years in the rural area of Mannachanallur HUT decided that imparting the children from Families affected by AIDS (FAAs) was the best way to address this problem.

Expected Outcome:
. Children from FAAs will be able to access education in a stigma free environment.
. A strong foundation for the future of the students will have been laid in the form of knowledge and self confidence.