Assisi Snehalaya - HIV/AIDS Care Center & Tamil Nadu

Day 4 night & Day 5 – 12/16/12

 

 One of the main reasons we came to Tamil Nadu was to spend time at Assisi Snehalaya, an HIV/AIDS Care Center operated by Franciscan friar Fr. Ferdinand.  Here about 35 children and 5 adults live in order to get assistance because they or a family member has AIDS or HIV.  The main source for HIV or AIDS is transmitted by fathers who are truck drivers.  They get infected during their travels around the country.  The correct name for this center is Care & Research Centre for Brothers & Sisters with HIV/AIDS, Conventual Franciscan Friars, Assisi Snehalaya, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. 

I am in awe of Fr. Ferdinand and Dr. Mahadeven, whose mission is to work with children with AIDS/HIV. Fr. Ferdinand started this center and over the years has been able to garner support from the community -both the residents and the medical community.  It took time to build the trust with the local community and the result is the children do attend a local government school for their educational needs.  I was blown away with the life I saw shining from these children's faces.  Part of that love for life comes from the structure of the Centre.  The children have a purpose, responsibilities; besides chores including washing clothes, there is school work and gardening.  They also farm the land and raise animals for food. Many organizations help out by providing and serving the children meals.  Two of the girls have earned university degrees - one in nursing and the other in literature - living long past many people's expectations.  

We also got to spend time with a young man, Thomas from Germany who was spending a gap year in India.  He is a remarkable young man.  I wish our society supported opportunities like this - before heading to college, spend a year giving back to others, developing empathy, etc.  It would give our youth a purpose and an understanding that there is a lot of interdependency in the world.  As someone said during this trip, when the butterfly flutters its wings in Japan, the whole world feels it.  

I so admire Fr. Ferdinand because I do not know how I could deal with the death that does come to children with AIDS/HIV.  Medicine is making a difference, allowing the children to live productive quality lives but it too can have some side effects.  He also is dealing with his own health issues - a brain tumor that has left one side of his face paralyzed. But he has not stopped.

After breakfast on the 16th, Dr. Mahadeven came and spoke to us about his role with the children.  I sat right next to him and wished I had been able to capture his love for these children and the desire and drive to be their advocate.  It just beamed from his eyes; it was absolutely magical.  The two make a dynamite combination and the children thriving.  I wish we could say the same about some of our children.  Even though their future is unknown, I found this experience and these children absolutely inspirational.  I am humbled again.

After our visit with the doctor, the children performed for us in small groups and this concluded with our distribution of some gifts we had brought.  Afterwards we did have a discussion among ourselves and Fr. Adam about the nature of bringing gifts.  The concern was brought up about the nature of strangers bringing gifts every time they come.  What really is our message and what should be our focus?  How can we balance our “need” to bring something and what the children really need such as time with others?  In light of the senseless shootings in Connecticut and Christmas in a few days, this visit reinforced in me the most precious gift we can give each other is our time because there is no guarantee that there will be a tomorrow.  Everything else is extra.

While in Tamil Ladu, we ate 3 meals at Ma's Salt and Pepper restaurant.  The venue had a spectacular view both from the tables and the kitchen. Fortunately for me, sanitary laws are a bit lax so I went into the kitchen an got to observe the food preparation, including videotaping how they cook a particular type of bread.  The food was both scrumptious and a visionary treat.  

 

Then on our way home, we stopped and watched some bull skitching.  It's real name is something else.  What is needed is a narrow but long body of water, 2 kangayam type cattle (big hump on its back) are attached to a harness, and a thin board for the skitcher.  He holds onto the tails of the bulls and they gallop through the water so fast, the rider skims across the top of the water.