NEPAL / Kaya Responsible Travel
Volunteer and help to provide a good quality life to children with HIV in Nepal. HIV/AIDS has long been an issue for the people of Nepal, however recently there has been a huge surge in the epidemic and the seriousness of the disease, especially amongst Nepali children. The staggering facts are that the number of HIV affected children in Nepal has reached over 1000 as reported in January 2010 by the National Centre for AIDS & STD Control. This number could be much higher however, due to the stigma surrounding HIV, the exclusion these children face from mainstream society, and the difficulties posed by the forced expulsion from public schools.
Worryingly there is little that the children from rural areas of Nepal can do to gain a proper education within these public schools. By law, children affected by HIV should be allowed to study in ‘normal’ public schools, however the parents of the healthy children are putting up a fight and shunning those with HIV out of the schools. As a result, many of the children in rural Nepal are being forced to leave their family homes and move to what is an already crowded Kathmandu, where there are more provisions and a HIV specific school where these children can finally gain an education, regardless of their level of poverty.
Volunteers teach the children and assist with their day-to-day care by feeding them, helping them with their basic hygiene, playing with them and also organizing fun activities for them to do. Volunteers also help with administration and fundraising, and organising awareness programs for the local community. Activities in the school include singing, dancing, poetry and story writing so volunteers are welcomed to share any experiences they have in any of these areas.
Part of the schools mission is to educate, reduce stigma and raise awareness of the plight of children suffering with HIV/AIDS, and by volunteering you can play your part in this mission.
For more information please contact a member of the Kaya Team at:
T: +44 (0) 161 870 6212
E: info@kayavolunteer.com
W: http://www.KayaVolunteer.com
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