This year’s Diwali could be special to 25 HIV orphans of Mamata Foundation if its initiative to get them ‘adopted’ by city-based families, albeit for a few days, succeeds. Instead of distributing firecrackers and sweets, the foundation looks to give these HIV-positive kids the experience of what Diwali is all about.

According to Amar Budukh, founder of the Mamata Foundation that provides a residential facility along with nutritional diet, counselling and education for 25 HIV orphans, it is efforts like these that will eventually get them in the mainstream. “Most of these children come from various parts of Maharashtra and have lost both their parents to AIDS. Some are as young as three years while the oldest is 11 years old.”

Says Dr Milind Bhoi, founder of the Bhoi Pratishthan, “We have appealed to families to ‘adopt’ these children just for a few days so that they can celebrate Diwali with them at home. Right from wearing new clothes, sharing sweets, playing with firecrackers and exchanging greetings, at least for a few days, these children who have been orphaned at a tender age can partake of Diwali celebrations by spending time with the regular families.

The organisation is looking to start ‘placing’ these children from Thursday as they already have a few families lined up for the short-term adoptions. However, they want to send out all the children out to their foster homes together even if it means holding back some of them who have their destinations ready, by a few days.

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