“Both, I and my husband, are HIV Positive. We lived happily for the first 6 months after our marriage but after that, his behaviour changed. He got addicted to alcohol and started demanding money from me. I left him and went to my maternal home. When I fell ill after few days, he came to get me back saying that he has changed and will take care of me. But he again started harassing me after few days. I then approached KMP and asked them to help me with my divorce. They immediately contacted the secretary of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) and arranged a lawyer for me. The Judge heard my case and referred it to the family counseling centre. The probation period of one year is going on during which the police will intervene if he harasses me. I feel relieved and am thankful to the support received from KMP….”
– Ms. Lekha, 26, Resident of Hanumkonda, Warangal district
“I lost my husband 4 years ago and am living with my 10 year old son. I have been living with HIV since past 8 years. My husband was the sole bread earner in the family and after his death, it has been difficult to make ends meet. It was different for me to travel to ART centre every month to collect my medicine due to the expenses involved in travel. It was during this time that I came in contact with the NGO KMP and got registered in their Vihaan program. Their support group meetings instilled confidence in me. They arranged a sewing machine for me and helped me start a tailoring business from home, with the help of NGO – Friends Being a Helping Hand. I now visit the ART centre every month and am regular with my medicines. The regular interactions with the KMP staff and with the other members of the PLHIV community have been comforting and I grateful for the support that I have received…”
– Ms. Shobha, 35, Resident of Waradhannapeata, Warangal district
“After my husband died, my in-laws regularly harassed me. I would often spend many days at my maternal home with my son, aged 12 and 10 years. In 2022, I was tested for HIV at the Jangoan district Hospital while being treated for diarrhea and fever. I was shocked and broken when the result came positive. I was clueless about how I got infected and cried a lot, worried about the fate of my children. The community health care counselor introduced me to the KMP staff. I learnt about how I could like a healthy, normal and productive life while being infected with HIV; this reduced my anxieties to a considerable extent. KMP staff visited my village and inquired with the district health facilities about the reason of my husband’s death. I learnt that my husband was also HIV positive and lived with the infection for almost a decade. Both my children were then tested and my younger son was found to be positive. My in-laws accused me of bad character and were not ready to accept their son’s status. I spent a couple of days on the streets with my family as this time my in-laws did not even listen to the village head. Vihaan staff then intervened and approached the town police station when the attempts to counsel failed. My in-laws have now come to a compromise; my children stay with me in the same house and they would be entitled to 2 acres of land after my father-in-law’s death. Also, my HIV positive son shall be receiving 5 bags of rice every year. I now feel relieved…..”
-Ms. Rajeshri, 42, Resident of Rameswaram village, Warangal district.