In the streets children become victims of abuse, get involved into in-vein drug use, toxic mania, get engaged in prostitution, of course without safety measures. Many of them are HIV-positive. The majority of them can’t stay alive even for two years in the conditions of the streets, while staying in wet basements and tumbledown buildings, eating from the garbage cans, if nobody saves them.
OCF “The Way Home” for the first time in Ukraine introduced specialized assistance for HIV-positive street children.
Social assistance: volunteers and specialists of “The Way Home” fund tell children about HIV, carry out pre-test advisory, offer children to go through the HIV-test, carry out express testing while working in the streets. If a child turns out to be HIV-infected, he is provided with the psychological assistance, is sent to the medical institution; he receives assistance in diagnostics, treatment and social services obtaining.
Education: Unique specially developed classes on HIV issues are carried out at “The Way Home” fund Education and Health Center for street kids. In a form of a game, with help of specially made cartoons, colorful visual aids and role games children are told about HIV-infection prevention, about the reality of complete life with HIV, importance of friendly support for people living with HIV. In the special trainings teenagers are taught the peer-to-peer method, later on they participate in conduction of classes.
