Agenzia Fides

Bogota (Agenzia Fides) - Thanks to an initiative by a group of Italian and Bolivian volunteers, in 1993 "The House of the Child" was born in Bogota, a reception center that takes care of children with disabilities, HIV and other diseases, removing them from the state of marginalization in which they are forced to live in society. To be a child and having contracted HIV does not mean living in a hospital or locked inside the house, the young can and should lead a normal life following the right treatment with antiretrovirals: this is the goal of the center. In order not to separate them from family members, also the parents are welcomed. 70 families live in the center with 180 minors. The community is aware of the fact that among them there are people living with HIV without knowing what it is about, to give them a chance to lead a normal life.
Located in the north of the city, the house offers a home to 15 children infected with HIV, 14 of whom live with their parents, who are sick too. The center also has a school structure "Arcoiris de Paz" that follows children with HIV and other children living in the house from an educational point of view. Teachers are trained to help pupils with the virus. In case of accidents or hazardous situations that could result in the transmission of the virus, biosecurity rules are applied to everyone, regardless of whether they are infected or not. In the center a monthly check is carried out in which drugs are delivered to the parents and the procedure for administration. When tutors cannot give drugs, those responsible at the center must deliver them from house to house. From eight in the morning till four in the afternoon all the young ones in the community attend school where they are also given a snack and breakfast. In the afternoon they play sports in gyms available or play with their peers. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 28/08/2012)