CHENNAI: It is the plight of HIV positive children that pains 61-year-old Noori more than her own personal struggle. A trangender living in the city, she was one of the first few to be diagnosed with HIV in 1987 and she is open about it. Though initially she kept to herself, she later decided to throw open her status for the benefit of others. She has been living a healthy life for more than two decades after she was diagnosed with the syndrome. She also runs the South Indian Positive Network (SIP+) and SIP Memorial Home for the HIV affected.Born as Noor Mohammad in Ramanathapuram, Noori's struggles began at the age of four when his mother died. Facing torture from his step mother and abuse by his maternal uncle, after being confused about his sexuality that drew male attention, the then 13-year-old boy ran away to Chennai to work only to return home at the age of 18. Unable to accept the marriage fixed for him by his step mother, he ran away again, but this time, to Mumbai, where the transformation from Noor to Noori happened. She became a commercial sex work. She was arrested in a case and was imprisoned here.That was not all. Diagnosed HIV+, Noori decided to quit sex work and began working for NGOs and HIV affected patients. “But I faced a lot of stigma. I had only studied till Class 3 and I was a transgender. So, I decided to go on my own. I still remember giving an interview to your newspaper then, when I openly told about myself, and my own community people attempted to immolate me for doing it,” Noori recalled. That was when she founded the SIP Network in 2001. It provided services to people living with HIV/AIDS, regardless of gender, age and orientation.But the torture she faced from her step mother was still fresh in her mind. She thought no child should ever suffer like her. She lent a helping hand to HIV affected orphaned children and thus, SIP Memorial Home was started in 2005. “When I see HIV-affected parents abandoning their children, it really hurts. I know how I suffered without food or shelter. My only appeal to such parents is - 'please let your children at least know their relatives even if you are not alive,” she said. Now, the home has over 44 orphaned children, including HIV affected ones.On World AIDS Day, she has a message for everyone: “I want people living with HIV/AIDS to take me as their role model and live with confidence. Even if you have only `10, live with it. Do not lead a desirous life. Even if the society hates you, seek their help again and again and you will be accepted one day."
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