STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION CAN KILL !!

Name: Nalayini J. and Selvi S.

Place: Coimbatore

Scout: Abdul  Hakim

Support requested: Rs 20,000 for 2 machines

Need:

Two young women,  Nalayini.J from Pladdam, Tamilnadu and and Selvi.S from Selvipuram, Tamilnadu, have made a humble request for two sewing machines.

Behind that request lies a story of courage, resilience, and the determination to rebuild lives despite overwhelming challenges.

Both women are HIV positive and live with physical disabilities (mobility related disability due to the HIV condition). In addition to managing their health, they face the stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV. They were forced to leave their homes and communities. Opportunities for employment remain scarce, not because they lack skills or motivation, but because society continues to judge them based on their condition.

Refusing to give up, they took steps toward independence. They enrolled in tailoring training and successfully learned a trade that could provide them with a sustainable source of income. They chose to equip themselves with skills rather than depend on charity. 

A sewing machine would allow each woman to work from home, earn an income, and support daily living expenses with dignity. 

By providing two sewing machines, we can help transform their training into livelihood, their skills into income, and their determination into a future they can build for themselves.