Waves April -June 2022

Suhasini - Being a double orphan and a girl, settling down with proper support was always a challenge. I was supported by Sneha Charitable Trust, to complete my basic education. But to get a job and become economically independent was a dream comes true. When I enrolled in the training program I had a fear of whether I will get a job, secondly, I was not confident about myself, but with the support of the team and my peers also enrolled. I knew it would be tough training that I am going to do. It was the first time that I did the classes through online sessions. I learned to manage my time in the class by listening to the class, taking notes, and understanding the concept that they want us to learn. It was a good experience for me to manage my time. Some of the classes were very interesting to me and some were not, but ensured I attended all the classes because only then I will understand the topic that I need to learn for my future. In this training have learned to do different work on the phone like writing documents, doing assignments,s and learning to make a resume. While doing my resume I also found out my new abilities, achievements, my studies, and all my skills. The best learning was to attend interviews. I was taught all the tips to attend the interview. In simple words, I enjoyed the entire training. Now I have a job, some good money and moreover I am confident about myself.

Grasping Knowledge

When the Magic Bus team visited Snehagram, I felt a sense of excitement and hope that this visit would change my life and future. As the training class started, I found it challenging but as the days went by, I became more comfortable. I learned how to type faster and speak proper English through videos and sessions. The training helped me control my emotions and taught me the importance of good communication. I was unaware of how to conduct an interview, but with the help of the Magic Bus classes, I gained knowledge and experience. I also learned how to create a strong resume, correcting my mistakes and improving with each attempt. Although the training was online, it felt like I was receiving one-on-one training.

Partnership

Visit to XIME

The partnership with esteemed institutions is crucial in delivering effective and long-lasting development to young people living with HIV. At Sneha Charitable Trust, we understand the importance of providing essential support to this community. In order to achieve this goal, we are proud to announce our partnership with XIME.XIME is an esteemed institution that has a strong reputation for delivering quality training and development programs. Through this partnership, Sneha Charitable Trust hopes to provide technical skill-based services that are tailored to meet the unique needs of the HIV-positive community. We believe that this partnership will be instrumental in delivering the support and services that the community needs to thrive. Our goal is to help young people living with HIV to build a better future for themselves, and we are confident that this partnership will play a key role in helping us to achieve this goal. We are excited to begin this journey and look forward to working closely with XIME to make a positive impact in the lives of those we serve.

Siddaramu, who is 24 years old, graduated from Annamail University. At an early age, he lost both of his parents; afterwards, his uncle looked after him. His uncle brought him to Sneha Care Home because of his ailing health and frail frame.

He finished his elementary education at Sneha Care Home up to the ninth grade. Then, for higher education, he and his pals relocated to Snehagram. Father St. Camillus helped him finish his graduation with his assistance. He also engaged in extracurricular activities such as teaching, photography, and documenting while he was studying.

All of this knowledge enabled him to participate in the Impossible Fellowship as a Fellow and be chosen for the Thought-Work Project (Peer Mentor). He learned about the Karnataka Network for Persons Living with HIV (KNP+) through fellowship. He was assisting KNP+ with case studies and reviewing the project's documentation. He learned about the difficulties associated with PLHIV at the time he was chosen as KNP+ (Youth- Coordinator &Project-Director) later in 2022. deepening their assistance.

He organizes life-skills programs in these districts as a fellow with the assistance of Michael sir and Lakshmikanth. 1. Bangalore, 2. Bidar, 3. Bijapur, 4. Bagalkot, 5. Gulbarga, 6. Kolar, 7. Tumkur. Offering camps to kids between the ages of 13 and 25.

Field Visit to Nagpur

The Bharwad tribe forms a part of the Hindu caste. They are chiefly the residents of Gujarat in India. Few of them who inhabit in Saurashtra use Ahir as a surname. The Bharwad regard themselves as Nandvanshi Ahirs. The traditional occupation of the Bharwad tribe is that of shepherds. They were hence known as Bharwad. The term has been derived from the Gujarati word badawad. Here the word bada means sheep and wada means enclosure. The bharwads can be mainly located in Kutchh and Saurashtra. They are said to be the descendants of Anavil Bharwad. The Bharwada have been divided into two endogamous groups i.e. the Mota Bhai and Nanabhai. The latter group, Nana bhai Bharwads has been further subdivided into clans such as Parmar, Meer, Jograna, Jograna, Dabhla, Satiya, Algotar, Sabhad, Sindhav, Boriya and many others.

Education: The children from these communities were denied an education because our learning spaces/classrooms are not inclusive, engaging, and effective enough that they will equip the children to be self-aware, identify their own passion and make informed choices about their careers and life. Hence with more commitment and resourceful leaders at every level, the organization is able to create a learning environment that is more inclusive and engaging.

Education: In this space, the engaging education leaders get the first-hand experience of creating effective, engaging, and inclusive learning experiences, working in the present school system, especially in low-income communities, and understanding what the challenges to creating such learning experiences are. Also, they are able to identify and explore their role in the larger movement and identify and develop a set of skills and mindsets that are required for their role. In our observation, we experienced that the children were quite enthusiastic after going to school, and getting themselves enrolled, every child we met, was self-aware, equipped to pursue their passion and lead a successful and happy life

Gender Issues: Bharwad tribes stand by their traditions and follow strict community norms, elderly men take all the responsibility in making decisions and running the family business and whereas women are made responsible for their household activities and family well-being. All the women from the community cover their faces while interacting with elderly men. The community gets their children to engage with the bride before the age of 10 and children having no option to their married life struggle to survive with their families. Education is the most neglected area and especially girls never set foot inside a classroom and they never get an opportunity to study or pursue their education. Women makeup nearly half of all agriculture roles and yet remain unpaid to the hard work and depend on men for any personal expenditures. Men take the lead in all sectors and women are adversely dominated, especially with the freedom of women. Women get to do only what is told by the men and they personally don’t take any major decisions.

Health Issues: Being located in remote areas and performing agricultural activities keeps them away from modern lifestyles. Facilities such as Health care, schools, government offices, banks, and Shopping areas are the rarest places visited by the communities. Health care accessibility is often taken for granted as the community depends on home remedies. The most common health issues are because of environmental quality, lack of food and nutrition, Injuries, seasonal illness, intake of contaminated water, and maintaining low hygiene as they move around and meet people. Women and young children face greater challenges to get well once fallen sick.

History of the Client: The client, a resident of Shimoga, faced a difficult childhood after losing both of his biological parents at a young age. He was adopted by his primary caregiver's parents, but later lost them as well and was taken in by his step-brother. In 2015, the client entered Sneha Care Home and spent seven years there before moving on to Snehagram for further studies. Despite challenges in academics, the client is a strong communicator with a love for learning through games and activities. He is also proactive in managing his health, as he is aware of his HIV status and takes medicine regularly. Despite his overall positive disposition, the client sometimes struggles with respect for elders and can be easily distracted. This is due to a traumatic past, where his family members separated and neglected him after finding out about his HIV status. The client was sent to a rehabilitation centre and experiences anger and lack of concentration due to these events.

Intervention: During the counselling session, the counsellor explored the client's anger, including triggers and how he expresses it through harmful language. The focus was on addressing behavioural issues, including the importance of showing respect to elders and teachers. To help the client gain self-awareness, the counsellor conducted an assessment to identify the client's strengths and areas for improvement. In discussing ways to manage his anger, the client considered strategies like avoiding excessive rumination, writing down his feelings, and using techniques like counting backwards from 100 or practicing meditation and yoga. The counsellor provided additional suggestions for managing anger.

Observation: Client seems to be very happy and is trying to stay positive always. The counselling has helped him a lot. Little changes can be identified in his behaviours. Some more methods were suggested like behavioural therapy, which will be useful to the client in future.