Sustainable HIV/AIDS integration - Tamil Nadu, India
In India, Alliance linking organisation Palmyrah Workers Development Society (PWDS) has successfully integrated HIV/AIDS into its broader development work in Tamil Nadu over the last five years by mobilising communities to build its HIV/AIDS care and support work; strengthening and co-ordinating existing care and support services for people living with HIV/AIDS, their children and families; and using policy initiatives to promote integration of care and support.
One way this integration work has been carried out is through its ongoing programme of supporting self-help groups, which in India are mostly savings and credit groups. Integrating people living with HIV/AIDS into these community groups helps build their self esteem and confidence, as well as providing economic and social support. At a community level it also provides opportunities to integrate HIV/AIDS work into wider community development initiatives and to promote HIV issues as part of a wider development agenda.
Valarmadi is the co-ordinator of one such savings and credit group in Tamil Nadu. Her group has 20 members and, with help from PWDS partner the Society for Rural Development and Protection of the
Environment, she started discussions within the group about how they could reach out to people living with HIV/AIDS in their community and provide support.
Now, as well as bringing people living with HIV/AIDS into the group and providing educational support for their children, each member of the self-help group also puts aside a handful of rice when preparing each meal. This rice is later given to affected families locally. Valarmadi and her group feel strongly that their support and solidarity can help them change wider social discrimination.
Self-help groups have been one part of PWDS’ work to mainstream HIV/AIDS into their existing and new programmes and their partner programmes.
