The Community Care Center in Jogipet serves as a haven for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in the Medak district. Established by SHARE India-APAIDSCON, this CCC caters to the needs of people like Poolamma, who absconded from her village after discovering she was HIV positive, now call this center their home. After her husband left her following the diagnosis, she was referred to Center and has since been living there for four months. She told her community she was leaving for work so as to avoid stigmatization. Poolamma is not alone. Maruti and Lakshmi, a married couple from a nearby village, just recently sought shelter at Centre after they too found out they were HIV positive.

Staff at Centre ensures that Poolamma and others receive the care that they need (i.e. medicines and counseling) as well as a place where they can live and not have to worry about being discriminated on account of their condition. Located on a serene campus, this center caters to the needs of patients who wish to keep their HIV statuses a secret from their communities that ostracize PLWHAs and that need a place for food and shelter. The CCC acts as a link between Government and Private Hospitals, Drop-in centers and other service providers of the surrounding regions.

The facilities available at the Centre are provided free of cost to the PLWHA's as they come from poor economic background. Apart from providing medical facilities, the CCC offers vocational guidance, recreational activities and spiritual programmes which help in the overall development of the patients.

The Community Care Centre serves as just one example of how SHARE India - APAIDSCON is helping PLWHAs receive much needed care.

If you have any questions/queries about our work at the Community Care Centre, send an email with your thoughts to revinasuhasini@gmail.com We will be glad to answer your queries.

If you are willing to be part of this unique initiative of helping PLWHAs, kindly send your donations in the name of SHARE India-APAIDSCON payable at Hyderabad. Note that all the donations qualify for exemption under Sec. 35 (i), (ii) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (India).