Preserving Hope for Children Living with HIV
At a modest home on Gang Panca Krida 1 in North Duri, Tambora, West Jakarta, the laughter of children echoes in the early morning hours. Some prepare for school whilst others await their scheduled medication time. This is where children living with HIV/AIDS spend their days surrounded by warmth, care, and affection.
The home belongs to the Vina Smart Era Foundation. Since 2007, nurse Ropina Tarigan, affectionately known as Bu Pina, has dedicated her life to caring for and raising children with HIV. Together with her husband, two children, and a caregiver named Bu Ambar, she has created a safe environment where these children can grow without fear or stigma.
Currently, seven children live together at the foundation, living as a family and learning to support one another and understand the meaning of togetherness from an early age. Their routine begins at 06:00 and 18:00 every day, when the children take antiretroviral (ARV) medication that must be taken regularly throughout their lives to maintain their health. Between school and play, Bu Pina ensures the children’s nutritional needs are met through nutritious meals prepared daily.
Beyond health management, the foundation teaches self-reliance. Children are taught to wash dishes, cook rice, arrange their personal items, and help one another. These simple tasks form an important part of building their self-confidence.
Most children at Vina Smart Era Foundation are orphans who lost their parents to HIV/AIDS. The majority contracted the virus at birth from infected mothers. Despite living with a condition they did not choose, these children grow with the same dreams as any other child.
“These children are not at fault. They have the right to live healthily, play, attend school, and pursue their dreams,” Bu Pina said. At the foundation, children continue their formal education from primary school through university. After school, they return to study together, play, and share stories in the narrow yet warm corridors of their home.
Through the Vina Smart Era Foundation, Bu Pina hopes that stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS will gradually diminish. She urges the community to care more about HIV prevention whilst offering support to children living with HIV so they can grow and be accepted in their social environment.
“Do not avoid the person, but avoid the disease. These children need to be accepted, embraced, and given the chance to live better lives,” Bu Pina said.