Across China: Central China AIDS orphans receive government care, more support needed

At lunchtime, a group of children rushes to the canteen of a welfare house, washes their hands, and sits down to eat a spread of hot dishes.

The children all live at the Sunshine Home for AIDS orphans in Shangcai County in central China's Henan Province.

"Many elder brothers and sisters who once lived here have entered college. I want to go to college to learn automobile design in the future," said sixteen-year-old Tiantian.

Tiantian is studying at a high school one kilometer from the welfare house. She was adopted by the local government about 10 years ago, when her parents died of complications from AIDS. They were infected with HIV by selling blood.

She now lives in the welfare house with 147 other AIDS orphans under the care of 14 staff. Since it opened in 2003, the welfare house has raised more than 300 AIDS orphans, 50 of whom have managed to enter universities. Another 100 have enrolled in vocational schools.

Between the canteen and the residential area, there are playgrounds equipped with sports facilities. Tiantian said that on weekends and holidays, the children play basketball and chess, learn to sing and dance, watch TV and surf the Internet together.

Tiantian said some of her classmates even envy her because she has her own pocket money and can turn to the welfare house staff for consolation when she feels bad.

"Each of us can get six new sets of clothes every year, and we can choose the colors ourselves," she said.

In the 1980s and 1990s, many farmers in poor Shangcai County were infected with HIV due to illegal blood sales. The AIDS patients' deaths have left the county with hundreds of orphans. The local government started building welfare institutions to support AIDS orphans in 2003.

Statistics show there are more than 3,500 AIDS orphans in Henan Province, and most of them are living with relatives.

An official surnamed Li with the provincial civil affairs department said AIDS orphans have been included in the government's social security scheme and are given 600 (96.5 U. S. dollars) to 1,000 yuan in relief funds per month for basic living costs and education. The government bears all costs of treatment for HIV-positive children, he said.

Li Guohua has been working at the Sunshine Home since July 2003, when the first orphans were taken in there.

"Most of the children were fearful and depressed when they first came here. The welfare house has hired professional psychological counselors to help them deal with their emotional problems," he said.

Discrimination against AIDS-affected people has greatly decreased in recent years. Every year, the welfare house receives help from volunteers and donations from different social sectors, Li said.

Li said that although the orphans generally do not have trouble making a living as adults, the boys sometimes encounter difficulties in preparing for marriage since they do not own homes.

"More than 20 boys from the welfare house who are of marriageable age are now facing this problem," he said.

Traditionally in China it is considered the responsibility of the man's family to provide a home before marriage. Today the custom is more strictly kept in underdeveloped areas.

"Hopefully, there will be donations of apartments to help them solve this problem," Li said. Endi