Chitwan, 6 March: Namrata Gurung (name changed), a resident of Rapti Municipality in the district, is currently working as a primary school teacher. She is infected with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) AIDS.
Gurung was diagnosed with HIV after completing grade 12. Stating that his mother died when she was six or seven years old, she mentioned that she had been living with her uncle after her father died in India while she was in grade 10. She said that although she felt that her life was over after contracting HIV, she has now succeeded in becoming a permanent member of the education service after continuous hard work and struggle.
Gurung said, “After losing my parents at a young age, I worked hard with the intention of showing something to the society, and I achieved success the second time.” She said that it is possible to do something with the determination to show something to the society that it cannot do anything.
Recalling the hardships she faced in her life, she said, “After my mother’s death, I used to feel very sad because my younger sister did not provide me with the money to study. Now I am standing on my own two feet.” She recalled that after the death of her parents, she used to teach adult classes to those who wanted to study, and in some cases, she completed her studies up to grade 12 by working as a daily wage laborer. She recalled, “Despite my desire to study, I was unable to study. Now, I have finally enrolled in the bachelor’s degree and am studying in the second year.”
Gurung said that it was very difficult to live in society in the early days after she was diagnosed with HIV due to lack of love and support from her family. After working at AHF Nepal for three months after being diagnosed with HIV, she married an HIV-positive person in India and went to India.
Gurung said that both the husband and wife have started working in India and that they have a son. “The son is now nine years old. I have now reaped the fruits of my sorrow because I have been continuously working and studying,” she said. She said that she is currently taking regular medicine and there are no problems with her health and work.
Stating that after working hard amidst many hardships and struggles, she has now succeeded in getting her name as a permanent teacher at the primary level, Gurung said that she wishes to serve the country and the people by becoming an officer under the civil service without discrimination.
Sabina Pandit (name and surname changed), a resident of Bharatpur Metropolitan City, who has been taking ART (antiretroviral therapy) for the past 18 years, is currently working as a youth worker at the National Coordination Mechanism, an organization for people living with AIDS.
She said that taking medication after being confirmed to have AIDS was very difficult in the beginning, but now it is becoming easier. “Earlier, I felt like I could not do anything. Now, I have reached a point where I know that this disease is normal, and that if I can strengthen my self-confidence, I can overcome it. Regular medication and self-confidence are the main elements in fighting the disease,” she said. Stating that society can be changed if infected youth can come forward openly, she urged everyone to address the voices of the infected.
Medical Superintendent of Bharatpur Hospital, Prof. Dr. Krishna Prasad Poudel, opined that HIV/AIDS has become a common disease in recent times, so it will not be difficult to achieve success if one works with self-confidence. She said that even though this disease is common, one can make life successful if one has self-confidence.
HIV/AIDS is caused by a virus that destroys the human immune system, so regular medication and self-confidence can help fight the disease, said Krishnahari Sapkota, AHF program coordinator at Bharatpur Hospital. According to him, 1,197 people are taking regular medication through the hospital’s AHF program. He said that this organization has been providing encouragement to women along with medication.
