Welfare house brings sunshine into the lives of AIDS orphans
Print Edition
It’s lunchtime, and children rush to the welfare house canteen, wash their hands, and sit down to a spread of hot dishes.
They live at the Sunshine Home for AIDS orphans in Shangcai County in central China’s Henan Province.
“Many elder brothers and sisters who once lived here have entered college. I want to go to college to learn automobile design in the future,” said 16-year-old Tiantian.
Tiantian is studying at a high school a kilometer from the welfare house. She was adopted by the local government about 10 years ago, after her parents died of complications from AIDS. They became infected with HIV when selling their blood.
Their daughter now lives in the welfare house with 147 other AIDS orphans under the care of 14 staff. Since it opened in 2003, the welfare house has raised more than 300 AIDS orphans, 50 of whom have gone to university. Another 100 have enrolled in vocational schools.
Between the canteen and the residential area, there are playgrounds equipped with sports facilities.
Tiantian said that at the weekend and during holidays, the children play basketball and chess, learn to sing and dance, watch TV and surf the Internet.
She said some of her classmates even envy her because she has her own pocket money and can turn to welfare house staff for consolation when she feels bad.
“Each of us can get six new sets of clothes every year, and we can choose the colors ourselves,” she said.
In the 1980s and 1990s, many poor farmers in Shangcai County were infected with HIV due to illegal blood sales. Deaths from AIDS have left the county with hundreds of orphans. The local government started building welfare institutions to support AIDS orphans in 2003. Statistics show there are more than 3,500 AIDS orphans in Henan Province, most of them living with relatives.
An official surnamed Li with the provincial civil affairs department said AIDS orphans have been included in the government’s social security scheme and are given 600 (US$96.5) to 1,000 yuan per month for basic living costs and education. The government takes care of medical costs.
Li Guohua, who has been working at the Sunshine Home since 2003, when the first orphans were taken in said: “Most of the children were fearful and depressed when they first came here. The welfare house hired counselors to help them deal with their emotional problems,” he said.
Discrimination against AIDS-affected people has greatly decreased in recent years, he added.
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