AIDS Day musings

Another 1st of December.

The sun came up on a mildly winter morning in Thane. Before the morning traffic got underway, students turned out for a marching rally - organised by the government HIV unit - wearing their red ribbons.

Our JSK staff has been out on the streets - meeting people - talking about HIV testing - giving information and on the spot counselling.

Its afternoon now, and a portion of the JSK team is now moving towards Dombivili where the District AIDS Prevention and Control Unit is organising a special meeting for young people. We will be running an information and counselling stall there - and meeting with youth one-on-one.

In the evening we are holding a small prayer meeting at the JSK centre.

All of this - while the earth continues its slow spin around itself. For 24 hours the world commemorates World AIDS Day. The 33 million brothers and sisters of ours who are living with the disease have the virus in them the other 364 days of the year too.

Its easy to get discouraged. Its easy to tune out. To move along with the many other things of life. What good is what we are doing anyway? And who really cares?

The government is trumpeting the figures that the rates of new infections of HIV in India are halved from 8 years ago. Any reduction in the numbers of people getting HIV is of course tremendous news. We are still far from being out of the woods however. At Jeevan Sahara Kendra we see the damage that is being done through HIV. Each day we meet the wounded from the silent bombs that keep going off in our midst - silent because of the fear of disclosure - and of rejection. A fear so deep that many many die even though treatment options are now available.

The challenge for us in India is not to let go of the efforts at this point! Though the new figures are not even a month old we now have statements like this:

[BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation] Standing committee chairman Rahul Shewale said, “The AIDS epidemic has been controlled to a great extent while the number of cancer cases, particularly among women, are rising. The BMC is determined to see that the project passes through.”

The context is a proposal by the Municipal Corporation of Mumbai (BMC) to build a cancer hospital on a site currently housing the Mumbai and State AIDS control societies.

Besides apathy - we also have plenty of down-right greed. The tribe of quack-doctors shows no sign of abating. They are happy to announce 'cures' (which are never free), but are never around when the person with HIV finally dies. The medical fraternity still remains largely indifferent if not hostile to peopel with HIV. Two months ago we met a lady who had been in labour-pains and was sent away from a private hospital where she. Sadly, is even our local govt. ART centre is accused of asking for bribes for treatment.

So how do we move forward?

Well, we do it by taking a deep breath and thanking God for letting any of us see today. We move forward by reminding ourselves of real people in whose lives a massive change has taken place.

We remind ourselves of people like Mr. Sam who joined our JSK staff members for this morning's outreach on World AIDS Day. Mr. Sam has had HIV for some years and was in such a debilitated state that he could not walk. But today he is walking on the streets telling others about HIV. Today he looks after his family with such amazing love. Today he radiates the simple joy he has found in Jesus in a way that humbles.

We thank God that we live in a country where Anti-Retroviral medications are free from the government. We now have over 100 of our Positive Friends taking ART - and what a difference it makes.

We are humbled by the quiet saints who are helping out in big and small ways. Some who whisper prayers each day for our dear friends with HIV. Others who come along and visit people in their homes. Still others who quietly support widows with house-rents and children's educational fees.

The list goes on. We move forward because a small but real number of God's people love.

Oh that we would see more. And that HIV/AIDS would only appear in our children's history books - rather than in the flesh-and-blood lives of our brothers and sisters!