In the remote hilly areas of far western Nepal, the most unlikely of Global Fund partners are turning the world upside down. Kamala Malla (photo right) is the founding member and president of a group of people living with HIV/AIDS. Even though she is a “high caste” woman her husband’s legacy has caused her to belong to a group that is discriminated against – she is living with AIDS.

Kamala Malla’s husband passed away five years ago. During the first seven years of their marriage, her husband worked in India. Four years into the marriage her husband became sick. He told her to go to Dhangadi to get herself checked and tell their neighbors that she was going to get checked for tuberculosis.
 
When her husband died, she and her son were as good as ostracized by her community. They would not allow her to wash her clothes in the river. Her son was not welcome at the school. This did not mean that Kamala was planning to become a recluse. She had other plans.

Kamala has started the Suryodaya Women’s Empowerment Group to provide care and support among each other and to others. They make home visits; help with personal hygiene, massage the numb parts of the body with oil and look after the needs of severe cases.

Out of their twenty five members, sixteen are widows and the remaining nine all have husbands with AIDS. These members are also sent regularly for CD4 counts, to test the level of HIV in their system. The nearest facility is in Dhangadi, in the neighboring district, some five hours by bus. All members are on antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) and the nutritional support program.

Of the many services that the Suryodaya group offers, Kamala is particularly proud of the fact that they now are able to keep track of any person returning to the community from India, get their medical records, take them for AIDS counseling and testing and ensure they attend the follow up process, according to the results.

Kamala recalls that a man had returned from India and was very ill. He immediately asked for Kamala. She remembers the man being tall and strong when he left for India. The same man was now unable to walk. The man has now been receiving ARVs for five months.

The Suryoydaya members wish that CD4 counts could be done in Dipayal rather than having to send people all the way to Dhangadi. They have coordinated with an organization in Dhangadi for food and accommodation for those who cannot afford anything at all.

They would like to see the health officials at the Health Posts trained so that they do not have to go far for ARVs. Kamala says, “If such facilities were available nearby, we would even use a stick to drag ourselves for the medication.”