For two years, my sister and I lived alone. We had to look after ourselves and fend for ourselves. Sometimes it seems like a dream. Our parents contracted HIV when we were young and passed away soon after and our entire village turned their backs on us. Nobody wanted to be associated with us or our family, even though we didn’t have it ourselves. But God was looking out for us. Soon after, we were noticed by someone and placed under Sandhyamma’s care at Aarti Home.

We’ve been given the opportunity to start over; start afresh. This is a new life for us, and we are going to make the most of it. Thinking back, I realize that had it not been for Aarti Home, we would have been married off and probably pregnant by this time. Being at Aarti gives me the strength to aspire for a different future.
We are currently finishing our bachelor’s degrees and hope to dedicate our lives to helping people with diseases like HIV and AIDS. We want to be able to dispel the stigma that surrounds sexual illnesses; when people are at their weakest, turning them away is the biggest sign of hypocrisy. Help them or find help for them.

Kumari is one of Aarti Home’s House Mothers. Known for her responsible and loving nature, she loves spending time with the younger children and helping them with their work. Shobha, two years younger to Kumari, has found her calling in sports, volleyball! She has played in and won many tournaments and has earned recognition in and around the Kadapa district.