WHAT IS MSPN?

Manisha Singh Punarjeevan Niwash (MSPN) was started in 2006 and is part of a non-governmental organization, Friends of Needy Children (FNC). MSPN is a treatment, care and educational centre that focuses on the issues of children living with HIV and AIDS by providing a transitional home for 18 children and their caregivers. Furthermore, we promote HIV awareness and prevention in rural Nepal. With additional funding, we hope to develop a preventative program to educate expectant mothers infected with the HIV/AIDS virus to prevent the transmission to their newborn child.

The late Ms. Manisha Singh was a dedicated social worker who devoted her entire life to the welfare of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Punarjeevan means “New life” and Niwas means “Home”. Together, MSPN and FNC strive to respect all her actions and aspire to the continuation of her work. MSPN has helped over 105 children since its inception in 2006. Children and caregivers gain not only the physical benefits from their stay at MSPN but they are also able to learn to manage their disease to live a full and meaningful life.

MSPN aims to provide treatment, care and support to HIV infected children to enhance, prolong and fulfil their lives. MSPN additionally educates the child’s caregivers so that they may provide the best quality of care for them when they return home after discharge. Children treated at the centre are 10 years of age or younger and can stay up to a maximum of 6 months. A caregiver stays at the centre with the child and assists in the child’s care. Food, lodging and medical treatment are provided for the child free of cost. While the caregiver may also be infected with the HIV virus, the centre provides emergency treatment as well as lodging and food to them. For more information about the care provided, please see our Care Model.

Children come to the centre through the VCT (Voluntary Counselling and Treatment) Centre, local hospitals, the PLWHA (People Living with HIV/AIDS) organization, and referrals by previous beneficiaries of MSPN. For admission, they must fulfil three criteria: (1) They must be living with HIV, (2) their caretaker must be present (preferably their mother), and (3) they must be under ten years of age.
MSPN is an entirely charitable organization that subsists solely on voluntary contributions from humanitarians. Care and treatment is provided at no cost to the families and government support is limited to ARV (antiretroviral) treatments. The treatments for additional illnesses acquired due to the heightened susceptibility associated with HIV/AIDS are not subsidized by the government and are extremely expensive. Furthermore, the cost of living, food and care depends completely on volunteers and donations.

Please visit our website or blog for more information and ways to donate or volunteer

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?

To Help MSPN, you can donate funds or better still Sponsor a child or carer. The centre really needs long term support to keep on running.

Throughout 2010 we will also be running events like treks, picinics and bike rides to help raise funds for the centre. Please join our group on Facebook for regular