Latur: Five HIV-positive couples tie nuptial knot

Five HIV-positive couples have tied the nuptial knot at a centre in Maharashtra’s Latur district where they grew up after they were either abandoned or lost their parents to the infection.

The couples entered wedlock on April 22 at Hasegaon village where a social worker started a centre called Happy Indian Village under a project named Sevalay to take care of one child infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes AIDS.

Over the years, the facility provided healthcare, education and shelter to many such children. Today, it has nearly 50 HIV-positive children, said founder Ravi Bapatale.

A total of 23 HIV-positive couples associated with the centre have so far married. Seven married HIV-positive couples now live at Happy Indian Village and they have HIV-negative children, he said.

Bapatale said he faced a lot of resistance when he started the facility. I’m happy that we have been able to take care of many HIV-positive children over the years, he said.