India has 5.1 million people suffering with HIV/AIDS. Other measures of need—poverty, illiteracy and child exploitation—are all staggering. No organization could by itself bring hope to this huge nation of 1.08 billion people.

We thank God for the privilege of partnering with effective Christian organizations in India. The Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA), a long-time partner, operates more than 20 hospitals across northeast India (SIM participates in five of them). EHA’s impact extends far beyond hospital buildings.

Ayo Finds Hope

SIM recently launched a “HOPE for AIDS” project in partnership with Shalom Centre, an EHA ministry for the care of HIV/AIDS patients. In November 2003, a man named Ayo was admitted to Shalom in shock due to several advanced life-threatening diseases. His drug habit had so destroyed his veins that the nurses were able to save his life only when they succeeded in inserting an I-V in his thumb! After 20 days in the hospital, he had completely recovered from those diseases, but he knows his lifespan is limited by his AIDS infection. He has become very active in the various rehabilitation programs that are part of EHA’s network, and he loves to play the guitar and sing praises to God. “As long as I am alive,” he says, “I have two main messages to tell everybody. First, my hope is in Jesus. And second, Jesus can change your life.”

Sarabjeet’s Story

Sarabjeet’s husband hid the report of his HIV/AIDS infection in his truck, so she didn’t know until he was dying that she was also infected. Her in-laws blamed her for his death and the subsequent death of their baby, and her support system vanished. She begged an SIM worker for something to end her “wretched” life. Instead, that encounter brought her to the Shalom Centre, where medical treatment restored her ability to hold a job and care for her 6-year-old son, who is fortunately not infected. They are living with her parents. The AIDS Care Training Services (ACTS), an outreach of Shalom, finds that when Christians provide resources to treat an AIDS sufferer, the impact extends beyond the patient to his or her whole family.

Go

SIM India has many openings for doctors and nurses, especially short-term. Contact your SIM office to learn more

Give

< a href="http://www.sim.org/index.php/project/98551">Hope for AIDS--Shalom Project # IN 98551

Learn more

www.HOPEforAIDS.org