Dear friends!

Why should we save energy? We have our brothers/sisters on the coast subject to submergence during cyclones and floods etc. Due to deforestation, industrial and vehicular pollution, fossil fuel based (coal, petroleum etc.) energy use, Green House Gases (GHGs) like CO2, Methane etc. are released raising earth's temperature causing the glaciers to melt. This results in rising ocean levels resulting in submergence of low lying islands like Maldives, Mauritius,Bahamas, Solomon islands and low lying India's coastal areas of 7500 km. Further, GHG release leads to climate changes resulting in frequent and extreme weather events like heat waves, super cyclones, severe droughts, heavy downpours etc. causing untold misery to millions of human beings, cattle etc. To save our fellow living beings, is it not our responsibility to reduce indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources, energy, water and other natural resources and save and conserve them?

Why should we conserve nature?

Because we are evolved from nature and all living beings are truly our brothers and sisters. Inside the soil and oceans there are billions of living beings unseen, and billions living on the soil, all depending on the nature itself for their survival. Man, being the most evolved being on the earth, has the greatest responsibility towards its children of all species, and to protect them. Even if he consumes some for his bare sustenance, it should be done with regard, compassion, fairness and honour.

Dear friends

Today is International Day for the Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), declared by the UN in 1992. In India, there are about 26.8 million PwDs as per 2011 census, with the men (55.9%) outnumbering women and the rural people (18 million) outnumbering the urban disabled. Among the multiple disabled, women are outnumbering men. 

Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa and Jammu and Kashmir have more than 2.51 per cent disabled population.

Th idea of the Day is to create awareness in the general public of the inequality caused due to the disabilities and the unequal opportunities enjoyed by the PwDs and the discrimination suffered by them in every walk of life from family to the society, from education to employment and treatment by the society. 

The observance of the Day also aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life. 

The general public should be sensitive about the needs of the disabled and empathize with them in stead of sympathizing with them. The PwDs need equal treatment with dignity and not otherwise. They only need to be proevided the opportunity to prove themselves that they are second to none and they have special abilities making them distinct entities.

It is high time we treat them with respect and dignity and provide them the opportunity to grow, get educated and employed and lead a dignified life as an equal citizen of India or the world. They only need suitable platforms ted, schoolo access the facilities provided by the Govt. and prompt medical services to get themselves treated, schools to get educated etc. so that they can prove their mettle and develop into useful citizens to the society. 

World AIDS Day - A grim reminder to all of us to to spread the facts about HIV/AIDS

Dear sisters and brothers

Yesterday was World AIDS Day. There are about 34 million people infected with HIV and about 1.5 million are dying every year in the world. So far, about 35 million have died of AIDS in the world.

India has the third highest no. of people living with HIV in the world, i.e., 2.1 million out of ~4.8 million in the Asia-Pacific region. That is 4 out of 10.

National AIDS Control Organization, NACO is involved in the control of HIV/AIDS in India. HIV treatment coverage is only 36% in India, where about 51% of AIDS related deaths occur. About 64% of people don't have access to ART (Anti Retro-viral Therapy) in India. But prevalence of AIDS in female sex workers has increased in Assam, Bihar and MP. There are ~868000 sex workers in India out of whom 2.8% is HIV positive.

Prevalence rate is high in males (61%) and in 15-49 age group (89%).

Second line therapy for HIV is applied after conducting viral load tests on those who develop resistance to First line therapy. But the test kits are not available. As a result, the second line therapy is given based on clinical findings.

For further facts about HIV: http://www.worldaidsday.org/about-hiv.php

Let's spread the knowledge about HIV/AIDS to contain its spread.

Visit to DESIRE Society for HIV/AIDS Affected Children

Dear Brothers and Sisters

Some of HEARTS Trust members and associates visited DESIRE Society (www.desiresociety.org) in Jinnaram (v) near IDA Bolaram, Hyderabad on last Sunday 19.01.2014 and distributed fruits to the 65 orphan boys and girls affected with HIV/AIDS. The Trust also contributed Rs.5000 through cheque to the society.

The children are so lively. Particularly, the health of one little girl Jyothi and another little boy were totally transformed from their earlier condition that it was a wonder how the society has transformed the lives of such unfortunate, but fortunate children.

The society was providing residential accommodation and boarding with excellent nutritious diet, medical attention and education to these little tots. So many individuals and organisations like HCL Technologies and others are visiting these children and teaching them, playing with them and mentoring them. It is such a noble place to be even for a few minutes. It is a wonder 3 other organizations visited the children on that day when we were there. 

The society was also providing outreach services like medical test kits, nutrition kits and education services in several villages in Medak dt. to about 300 other children affected with HIV/AIDS. It has branches in Bangalore, Mumbai and Vizag.

We too enjoyed with the children, attended their class rooms, interacted with them, the ladies played with them and danced with the girl students. The children also enjoyed a lot and expected us to keeping visiting. 

K. Kishan and D. Venugopal from GHMC and their families, B. Srinivas from LIC, Bharat and Sai Teja from Anadha Vidyarthi Griha, gs sravya and gk rao were the blessed ones on that day. 

Sri Ravi Babu, Chief and Sri Eswar Rao, Head of the Project from DESIRE Society briefed the HEARTS Trust team the following:

Over 5 million people in India are currently infected with HIV i.e. nearly 10% of the global HIV burden and the highest in the world after South Africa. About 70,000 children under 15 years age are infected with HIV in India and nearly 21000 new infections occurring every year. 

And there is the stigma added to the affected persons. It is expected that the children may live up to 25 years after infection. They need to be kept under constant medication, nutritious diet and treated with equality and love which will speed up their recovery ad prolong their life. 

Hence the HEARTS team felt the need for periodical follow up visits to know their needs and do what ever it can to bring and sustain the light in those children.



Love.
HEARTS Trust