Shanker Foundation
Darjeeling, India
February 2009

Roma Di Chettri

In 1998 Roma and her husband learned that they were HIV positive. Her husband was a cook in Delhi and died in 2002. After his death, Roma went for treatment in Bangalore, where she was denied ART treatment. When she came back to Darjeeling, she became a member of Shanker foundation, and was able to start ART treatment.

With the support of Shanker Foundation, she started working and earning a living without the stigma of being HIV positive. Her speech on HIV/AIDs was broadcast through a radio program on which she said, “My days of hardship and time of suffering has freed me…” Fortunately, her son in Mumbai is not infected and she is happy with her life now.