A Thoibi's Story

Thoibi got married at the age of twenty with Dinachandra, a young handsome man. He was from Kakwa a small village in Manipur, a state in the eastern part of India experiencing Arms Conflict since 1949. Manipur, one of the 6 high HIV/AIDS prevalent states with a 80% estimated HIV prevalence among Intravenous Drug Users (2001).

Dinachandra was an occasional drug user during that time and Thoibi had no knowledge of his drug habit. A year after, she gave birth to a son Bablu on the 13th April 2000. Both of them were unemployed at this time so they thought of starting a business. To start, Thoibi sold her jewelries which was given to her by her parents on her marriage. Unfortunately the business was not a success and they lost all they had.

Dina got frustrated and started taking drugs again. As time past he very often fell ill and remained bed-ridden. Thoibi had started weaving and stitching it into Phaneks (the wrap-a-round, skirt like which the local women wear here) to maintain her family. Most of the income though was used in buying medicines for her husband’s treatment. Very often husband & wife would quarrel among themselves on various issues and most of it was money related. Dina's two elder brothers were also abusing drugs which disheartened the whole family and for one reason or the other they were quarreling among themselves. His elder brother died just two years after their marriage.

Thoibi again gave birth, to a daughter named Puspa on the 30th March 2004. She could now no longer stand the physiological trauma & harassment from her husband with two small little kids to look after. She finally decided to leave her husband and moved back with her old parents. She was not allowed to take her son Bablu by her husband and her in-laws.

Struggling to fight poverty, to support her daughter & herself she worked hard in weaving and tailoring. During that period she met Pratima, a member of MSG (Mutual Support Group) formed under our Organization, WASDO (Wide Angle Social Development Organization) and supported by CRY (Child Rights and You). Thoibi finally joined MSG after attending various program on HIV/AIDS. One day she decided to get herself tested and found out that she was HIV positive. She felt very angry at her fate and wanted to commit suicide. The real challenge in front of her now was how to survive with the virus and the stigma & discrimination associated with it. She did not fear death but what she feared most was what will be the fate of her children after her death.

As Thoibi was now a member of the MSG, she was consoled by most of her peers who shared their experience and hardship they had gone through and how they over came it. She started actively participating in the work of MSG like the income generating Training Programs that were most suitable economically as well as physically...soap making, cane & bamboo handicraft making, etc. as her physical condition did not permit her to exert herself too much physically. She later became the Convener of MSG.

After one and half years, Dina visited Thoibi along with their elder son Bablu. He apologized and promised that he will not abuse Drugs any more and requested her to come back home. She agreed and also motivated him to get himself tested and also informed him of its advantages. Dina too was found HIV positive. He enrolled himself in MNP+ (Manipur Network Of Positive People) and started getting drug substitution therapy with Bruphonophin.

Thoibi is now working as a Child Animator in WASDO. Dina is now seriously ill and is on ART.

With lots of opportunities developing, the Indian Government needs to take up Intervention Program based on ground realities and not on strategies formulated by the National AIDS Control Organization as thousand of Thoibis are waiting for some hope in this dark side of North Eastern State of India.