Care with Dignity

December 20th, 2006

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Sahara Aalhad is a residential care home for men, women, and children living with HIV/AIDS. Pune is a city of over 4 million people, three hours from Mumbai, where the Indian government reports that 1.8% of the population has HIV, double the national average. Yet Sahara Aalhad, with its 30 beds, is the only facility of its kind here. We provide our residents:

  • Balanced diets and nutritional supplements
  • Treatment with Antiretrovirals (ARVs)
  • Management of opportunistic infections and treatment of TB
  • Palliative care
  • Arranging and monitoring of hospital visits
  • Counseling and emotional support.

Acceptance is Sahara’s most important resource. Severe discrimination, stigma, and denial affect people living with HIV/AIDS in India. Many of our clients, from all walks of life, come to us after families and communities have rejected them, out of misconceptions and needless fear. Because of this, our mission also includes raising community awareness about the true causes and nature of HIV.

Please look around to find out more about HIV in India and how you can help. Or read below for some stories from our clients and our blog.

Thanks for visiting!

Stories From The Centre

Testimonies from our residents.

Savita

December 20th, 2006

Savita, 25, came to Sahara in the fall of 2005. She used to make chapatis in a college dining hall for 600 rupees a month (roughly $13). She was married and had two children, but her husband was killed three years ago in a road accident. In September 2005, during a festival, she fell very ill and was paralyzed in all four limbs. Her brother and sister took care of her, but when they found out she was infected with HIV, they and their spouses began to quarrel over keeping her. “If you stay, we’ll get infected,” they would say.
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