'Gan Sabra': A Home With Compassion!

Add as a preferred source on Google

They have lost their dear parents, who were the ones they loved to death! The society shunned their presence in fear! However they got a home now where they can find the magic rays of love!.

'Gan Sabra' is a special home for AIDS affected children. The house is located at Zonuam village on the outskirts of the Mizoram's capital Aizawl. It is the first and only transitional children's home in Mizoram.

The motto of 'Gan Sabra' is “That they may have life, life in its fullness." The home aims to provide a special home where children affected with HIV/AIDS can have a good time away from social stigmas. It spreads joy in the lives of children and motivates them to lead their lives to the fullest.

Lucy Maruati is the moving force behind the home. She believes that there is life beyond HIV-AIDS and every child has a right to cherish childhood in a world full of love. The home tries to provide family atmosphere for the affected children, who are deserted because of the discrimination, stigma and different problems that they face.

Lucy Maruati decided to open such a home after she adopted a girl child left abandoned by her parents. Since its inception in 2006, 'Gan Sabra' has been helping the HIV / AIDS infected children to lead a normal life through education, healthcare and most of all love. There are presently 33 children at the home; the youngest of them is just one-and-a-half-year-old and the senior-most being of 16 years of age.

Initially the children at 'Gan Sabra' encountered problems at schools due to opposition of guardians. However, with the help of various counseling programmes, parents started to accept the HIV positive children. Today most of the children attend schools and get excellent results.

Gan Sabra' means 'Garden of Cactus' in Hebrew. The cactus survives in the desert and so also our children who are infected and affected with HIV/AIDS. Besides taking care of these children, the Gan Sabra also undertakes advocacy and arranges awareness workshops and campaigns on prevention of AIDS on a regular basis.