Kin kick out HIV-hit, schools deny admission

Man deserts wife, kids after passing on AIDS

At a time when their peers go to kindergarten nursery schools, Sushma Rishidev (4) and Sushil Rishidev (2), who are infected with AIDS since birth, have to go to the hospitalevery day to take anti-retro viral medicines just to stay alive.

Both are too young to understand the impact of the dreaded disease.
They are also innocent of why they have to go to the hospital and take medicines but the anxiety of ensuring that they stay alive, grow up and go to school someday is worrying their 28-year-old mother Rekha Devi.
For Rekha, it is partial relief that the government started the ARV treatment service and she takes these little children to Kosi zonal hospital for their daily dose. She said the children’s monthly quota of medicine costs between Rs 2,500 and 4,000. Sushma and Sushil each have to take the medicines twice a day. Looking at others’ children, Rekha worries about her children’s future and laments, “What sin had they committed that they have been cursed like this?”

When Rekha got married to Ramdev Rishidev six years ago, little did she know that her husband had already contracted AIDS while working in India. She knew that her kids were also infected with the disease only when she brought them to Koshi zonal hospital where they tested HIV-positive after they started falling sick frequently. When she grilled her husband, he admitted that he was afflicted with AIDS.

After learning that his children were also afflicted with AIDS, Ramdev went again to India, leaving Rekha, Sushma and Sushil to face the wrath of the family and the society. Rekha’s in-laws then kicked her and her children out.

Sheltering in Navkiran Plus in Biratnagar, Rekha and her children are counting their days. No school is willing to admit Sushma or Sushil. Neither Rekha’s family nor her in-laws or any section of the society is willing to give them shelter or accord them the dignity they deserve. Navkiran Plus has been attending to their needs and expenses, but it also is on the verge of throwing up its hands and has appealed to donor organisations in Kathmandu to help it bail out the hapless woman and her children.



Navkiran Plus manager Krishna Gurung said his organisation tried to convince almost every school here to give admission to the two children but in vain. However, there is a silver lining in the form of Janpath Secondary School that has said it will eventually admit these children, he added.