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Children's Home
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This programme started in 1978 with 4 abandoned children. It has now grown to 942 children under RTU's direct care. Destitute and orphaned children below the age of ten are cared for by foster mothers in an independent house under our "Family Care System". We currently have 76 houses in 4 different "Children's Villages". Once the children become adolescents we place them in our youth hostels. We have two hostels for boys and four for girls. When the children finish their academic studies they are sent to various colleges for professional courses. The children remain in the care of the RTU until they are able to look after themselves. |
Apart from the Children’s Villages, RTU provides financial support every month to 74 poor families in the villages around RTU and helps with the children's educational needs. (N.B. All names have been changed throughout) |
HIV/ Aids
A new and growing problem is the children admitted who are affected (orphaned) and sometimes infected by HIV/AIDS. We provide medical care and counselling and are co-operating with the state government to promote awareness in the area in an effort to halt the march of the disease.
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Case study -1
I am Malani from Devadanapatti Village of Theni District. I have two young sisters named Manjula and Meenakshi. My father was a coolie and an alcoholic, who rarely went for work. He used to pick quarrels with my mother everyday. So there was no peace in our family. One day during a quarrel he severely beat my mother. Soon after that our mother poured kerosene over herself and set fire to herself. Our father tried to rescue her but our mother strongly caught hold of him. Both of them were burned to death in front of our own eyes. After their death our grandmother took us to "thatha" (grandfather as they call Brother James). He admitted us in the Children's
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Village. Now we are well taken care of in RTU. We never feel that we are
parentless children. We have a loving "thatha", an affectionate mother and loving brothers and sisters here. We enjoy their company very much. The Children’s Village is our real home. "A home away from home". God bless our "thatha". |
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Case study -2
I am Banumathi, 35 years old and a native of Kavuniji, part of the Kodaikanal Hills. I had a happy life with my husband and my daughter Roopa. My husband died 5 years ago due to AIDS. He was a worker in the coffee estate. It was only after his death that we came to know that he had AIDS. Soon after his death I and my daughter came to RTU for general treatment. Their test revealed that both of us are HIV+. We were brought under their HIV+ medical care and support programme. I also received monthly monetary assistance.
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But the discrimination due to social stigma prevalent in our society to HIV+ continued. On every 25th RTU conducts People Living with HIV/AIDS meetings through which we get regular follow ups, counselling and moral support. In one of the meetings we came to know that an AIDS affected couple hanged themselves after killing their baby in a neighbouring village leaving one other child as an orphan. On hearing this we cried to Brother and requested shelter for us, though we were well aware that RTU is not engaging HIV ladies as foster mothers as they lose their stamina very fast and all the Children's Villages(CV) are full to their capacity. In this situation Brother considered us
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as a special case and accommodated us in Anbu Illam. Similar to me another unfortunate mother Madhavi with her 3 children were also accommodated in Miriam Children's villages as a special case. We are living a happy life with our children. After my life "thatha" (Brother James) will continue the same good care to my child. My daughter is doing her 1st standard in RTU School.
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