A small but valuable space

A quick look inside our Jeevan Sahara Kendra centre. For the uninitiated - the stars on the ceiling each have a name written on them. They represent our friends with HIV who we know have died. We won't be meeting them again this side of eternity.

The area where the chairs are stacked is used as our morning meeting place. Its about 6 m by 4 m in a thick L shape.

Each morning the whole team meets in this space at 9AM for praise and prayer. We take turns sharing from the Bible. To encourage each other. To keep us going. Then a prayer for the day's work and the Home-Based Care teams head out for the morning visits to people with HIV in their homes.

This room then sees various changes over the day. A quick sweep and swab by Rekha - our current helper at JSK (her two small daughters come with her each day - and then attend school in the afternoon).

When an HIV positive friend comes, or someone who wants to be tested for HIV, they are seated in this area. After counselling and preparation in the counselling room, the person is brought into first door on the right. This is the small lab we have and their blood sample is taken and processed there. The next day they will again be met by our counsellor who will tell them their HIV result.

For those who need to be seen by the doctor, the nurse will take their details in this waiting area. At lunch time - some of the staff eat their food here (if there are no patients waiting of course). Most of the staff end up eating on a set of stairs...

Post lunch the home-based care teams share brief reports of the day's visits so far and plan for the next steps. Then it is out for the afternoon visits.

In the afternoon Madhu - another helper - will again clean the place. Just before 6 whoever is still at the centre will gather for prayer at the close of the day.

On days when we have patients admitted - this place becomes a play room for their children - a counselling place for spouses - a visiting space for people who would like to meet the patients.

A place of many uses. These walls have seen many a tear. And some laughter too.

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Photo by Anand Sinha - courtesy of letting us use it assumed - as we always do with our near-and-dear-ones