Enabling Livelihood and Restoring Hope

A new beginning for Lalhriatpuia

There exists a story of resilience and hope in the heart of Mizoram. Meet Lalhriatpuia, who found it difficult to overcome life’s hurdles after losing his mother to AIDS and tuberculosis. In his inability to cope with continued adversity faced from society, he dropped out of school and lost his motivation. But, as a sign of hope and goodwill of human nature, the OVC team of the state under the ACCELRATE program which is implemented by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and YRGCARE, supported by PEPFAR and USAID stepped in. The team helped him through this period by ensuring his adherence to his HIV treatment, provide psychosocial motivational support in helping him go back to school, and start his very own business venture through a pig farm. The OVC program not only provides health support but also cares for the well-being of people like Lalhriatpuia. This story shows how the program empowers individuals to build a better future.

Lalhriatpuia, an 18-year-old from a village outside Aizawl, has many aspirations for his future—finish his studies, secure a job, and provide for himself and his loving aunt who raised him. It wasn’t always an easy future to imagine. He lost his mother to AIDS and tuberculosis and he still copes with the trauma of his father’s. Lalhriatpuia was raised by his loving aunt who supported him throughout childhood and even in his treatment for HIV, which started when he was just five years old.

In the face of bereavement, an estranged relationship with his father, and stigma and alienation from peers owing to his own HIV status, Lalhriatpuia dropped out of school in 10th grade and was completely unmotivated to study further.

Through the support of #PEPFAR and USAID , the Orphans and Vulnerable Children program led by Program ACCELERATE responds to the needs of individuals like Lalhriatpuia — children and families who are living with or affected by #HIV. When the OVC staff heard about his situation, they helped him adhere to life-saving HIV treatment, return to school, and even start a pig farm. Pigs are an important livestock in #Mizoram and pig breeding farms are quite common in the state. And he found this a quite practical and possible means of earning a living.

He is a participant of the OVC program in Mizoram, with whom the team vehemently follows up on viral load testing and medication adherence. The OVC program in Mizoram— which serves five districts namely, Aizawl, Champhai, Kolasib, Lunglei, and Mamit— strives to reduce the vulnerabilities by improving access to health, social services, and social protection schemes for parents, caregivers, and children.

ACCELERATE, which is implemented through the Johns Hopkins Medicine with the partner organization YRGCARE , has supported more than 50,000 children and caregivers through the OVC program since 2019.

Lalhriatpuia and his aunt reside in a village which is 28 km. from Aizawl. To lift his spirits and to encourage his regular viral load testing, the OVC team (Aizawl), aware of his predicament, decided to visit him in early January this year. The program does not just deliver HIV services but also improves the psychosocial competencies of the beneficiaries in a very friendly manner. Hence, the team, who are like his friends met him and his aunt, when he expressed his desire to explore livelihood options. He wanted to stand on his own feet.

He requested support from the OVC team to arrange microloans to help kick-start this venture, as the program facilitates multiple social protection services. Overcome by Lalhriatpuia’s passion and genuineness to support his family, the team pooled funds from their personal savings to the tune of INR 14,000. They even helped him find a fine piglet, the first member of his future farm, which is being domesticated by Lalhriatpuia.?

New Job, Better Health and More Energy

Lalhriatpuia is a confident and busy man now, says his proud aunt.

“He is much motivated after he got his pig,” she said earlier this year. “He collects wood and food for his pig without me nagging, he even seems more energetic and livelier these days. Now he is waiting to make some profit so he can enroll in open school (distance education) to complete his 10th grade, along with pig-rearing.” ?

In April, Lalhriatpuia enrolled at the National Institute of Open Schooling, as he planned. The OVC team confirms he is now adherent to his ART medication and his viral load (the amount of virus in the blood of an HIV positive person) is finally suppressed.

Structural barriers continue to stymie the progress of many people living with HIV in their HIV journey, especially as they must find motivation to take daily antiretroviral medication and regularly test their viral load. In such contexts, programs like OVC add value as they go a step beyond the traditional service delivery and treat the person, not just the disease. ?

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