Events
- Inauguration of Maiti Nepal`s Sonja Kill Memorial Hospice - 2006-01-19
Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Himani Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah inaugurated Maiti Nepal's Sonja Kill Memorial Hospice constructed at Gokarneshwor Village Development Committee, Pakhathok of Kathmandu at a function organised on 19 January 2006.
After the inaugural function, Her Royal Highness Crown Princess inspected the Hospice with immense interest.
The aim of the hospice is to provide care, affection, and homely environment for children and women (survivors of trafficking and sexual exploitation) who are terminally ill.
Sonja Kill Memorial Hospice is built over an area of 7 Ropanis and 4 Annas(3689.68 Square Metres). It has 43 beds and has possibilities of extension. It has an isolation unit with three beds for patients suffering from contagious disease like Multi Drug Resistance Tuberculosis, Hepatitis and other chronic diseases. Maiti Nepal provides antiretroviral medicine to the HIV survivors on regular basis through this Hospice. Sonja Kill Memorial Hospice was built with the financial contribution of NRS 3 Crores (Thirty Million) from Sonja Kill Foundation and Children Missionary, Germany.
To provide proper care, psychosocial counseling, medical services, educational opportunities including life with dignity, Maiti Nepal established a hospice in 1999. The extended form of this hospice is the establishment of "Sonja Kill Memorial Hospice".
In September 2003, Maiti Nepal and its international support organisations and friends united together under the campaign "Initiative Hope" to provide medical treatment to survivors of trafficking and HIV/AIDS of Maiti Nepal under supervision of a medical team.
The main objective of this initiative was to distribute anti-retroviral (ARV) therapy to all HIV/AIDS infected girls sheltered by Maiti Nepal and to provide careful medical monitoring of people taking ARV including regular testing of the viral load and CD4 cells and modifications in the therapy according to the results of the blood tests. It is envisaged that ARV would help bringing down mortality rates of people living with HIV/AIDS.
Under this project, two expectant mothers who were extended ARV Therapy gave birth to two healthy babies, who were confirmed HIV negative. Due to ARV, mother to child transmission of HIV was prevented. Currently, 21 children and women are undergoing ARV Treatment.
On this auspicious occasion Dr. Durga Pokharel, Honorable Minister of State for Women, Children and Social Welfare said that girl trafficking is a serious issue of the nation and joint efforts needs to be addressed to solve the problem.
Dr. Winfried Kill, Founder of Sonja Kill Foundation said that Maiti Nepal has saved thousands of young girls from a cruel fate and also surely from certain death. He called that hundreds of orphans, who would otherwise have had no chance of survival, have been taken in by “Maiti Nepal”.
He further said that through this hospice, they would like to respond to their duty to help the poorest. Even if the end of their life is in sight, they should be able, in the last few months of their lives, to be loved and warmth to which they have been deprived.
He added that through this hospice they want to set a further visible example against increasing human trafficking, abuse against children and worldwide suppression of women’s rights. He said that this can only be a small contribution in the fight against the injustice which these children are suffering. But it is the many thousands of small steps which will one day change the world. If each of us is prepared just to take a few of those small steps, an enormous amount can be achieved.
Mr. Bishwo Ram Khadka, the Director of Maiti Nepal said that to provide proper care, psychological counseling, medical services, educational opportunities, Maiti Nepal established a hospice in 1999. The extended form of this hospice is the establishment of "Sonja Kill Memorial Hospice".
He stated that with the establishment of new hospice, Maiti Nepal envisions providing holistic care and support services to sick children and women. He further said that during its thirteen years of establishment, Maiti Nepal has so far provided its services to one hundred and sixty two survivors of children and women infected with HIV/AIDS by providing shelter, medical treatment, psychosocial counseling and necessary trainings.
Mrs. Anuradha Koirala, the Chairperson of Maiti Nepal said that the issue of HIV/AIDS is not the problem of an individual but is a common issue of the entire nation. She also said that despite various efforts being made to curb this problem, no fruitful results have been achieved so far.
She added that still great number of children and women are living with HIV/AIDS and are out of our reach and they have not benefited from our programmes. So our campaign should be more focused to work for people living with HIV/AIDS.
On this event, children of Maiti Nepal performed cultural programmes.
