KYC Punarjiwan Kendra is an autonomous non profit, non political and non religious organization that operates under KYC. Its vision is to create a society where people have the rights and access to a healthy and dignified life. In order to achieve its aim, it works with People Living with HIV and AIDS PLWHAs and Injecting or non Injecting Drug Users I DUs by advocating for their rights and providing treatment care and support related to drugs and HIV and AIDS. Furthermore we prevent drug use and spreading of HIV by educating the community, in which it has mainly focused on youths and adolescents. Finally, it also works with families within marginalized and disadvantaged groups by increasing their knowledge and practice about sexual and reproductive health.

KYC Punarjiwan Kendra has been focusing its activities and programs on drug abuse and HIV and AIDS prevention since its inception. It was established in 1996. Then, it set up the first drug rehabilitation centre in eastern Nepal. In 1997, it started a harm reduction program for Injecting Drug Users IDUs. Furthermore, it conducted school and community based awareness programs on HIV and AIDS and drug abuse. A youth centre was set up in order to educate youths and adolescence about drug abuse, HIV prevention and other skills. From 2003 to 2006, Kendra also ran a program on sexual and reproductive health for marginalized and disadvantaged groups. There has always been a strong collaboration with GOs, INGOs, NGOs and the community for these programs.

Treatment and Rehabilitation Center. Dharan, Sunsari.

It has been carrying out various programs in nine districts in the eastern parts of Nepal, Kathmandu and Lalitpur.

2. Programs

2.1 Awareness & Education

We are aiming at creating awareness and educating the community on drug abuse and HIV and AIDS. The most important component of this program is an HIV prevention program. The objective is to reduce risk behavior and increase safe practice among out of school youths and adolescence in terms of drug use and HIV and AIDS.

We try to reach the adolescents, who are most at risk, such as drug users, sex workers, men having sex with men and street children. Forty peer educators are mobilized to educate youths at highly risk and adolescents about lives’ skills. Also counseling services are offered. Furthermore linkages and referral with other services and organizations have been established. Pediatric support and Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission PMTCT is included in this program.

The program is carried out in urban areas of Sunsari district: Dharan, Itahari, Inaruwa, Duhabi, Jhumka and Pakali.

2.2 Drug Treatment & Social Integration

For this program, Kendra managed to establish its own rehabilitation centre in Dharan. In the centre 40 beds are available for people to join rehabilitation program. The success rate of rehabilitation is around 70 percentages. Also, family of the person receiving treatment is involved in the program to make social integration a success.

In the rehabilitation centre counseling services are also offered. Furthermore, a support group is set up for recovered drug users. The group offers them trainings such as computer skills in order to make their integration into the society easier. Drug treatment in the rehabilitation centre is free for people who cannot afford the fee. Besides, this rehabilitation centre KYC-PJK is currently taking action to set up another rehabilitation centre that specifically aims to rehabilitate and reintegrate female IDUs.

Seminar on Treatment and Rehabilitation.

2.3 Harm Reduction

The harm reduction program aims at stopping transmission of HIV and AIDS among injecting drug users and creating favorable environment for the harm reduction program. To accomplish this, Kendra runs a street based outreach program and Drop in Centers DIC.

As part of the harm reduction program, KYC-Punarjiwan Kendra, furthermore provides needle and syringe exchange services, counseling, BCC education, minor primary health care services, IEC materials and various referral services to IDUs. Furthermore, Oral Drug Substitution Therapy  OST  will be offered soon in order to make the Harm reduction program more comprehensive.

2.4 Advocacy

KYC-Punarjiwan Kendra has been involved in rights based advocacy since its establishment in 1996. It focuses especially on the rights of drug users and people living with HIV and AIDS. This is both on a national and local level. The advocacy activities aim to tackle stigma and discrimination and change policies and structures.

This is done in a joint effort with beneficiaries, stakeholders, the community and GOs. Continuation of advocacy helps to change policy and structures. In order to create a strong and unified response an advocacy task force is formed to collaborate with other NGOs.

The advocacy work of KYC-Punarjiwan Kendra has resulted in the establishment of an enabling and supporting environment for drug users for positive living in Dharan, the police has started to refer drug users for treatment from their custody, drug treatment was started with support of Dharan municipality, an ART and PMTCT center has been established in Dharan, a healthy and friendly environment for drug user and PLHA has been established at BPKIHS (teaching hospital of Dharan), a separate counseling unit has been established at BPKIHS, Dharan Municipality, Damak municipality, Itahari municipality and DDC Sunsari started to allocate budget for Drug and HIV&AIDS prevention annually, Dharan municipality started to allocate budget for medical treatment support for poor PLHA.

2.5 HIV Care & Support

KYC-Punarjiwan Kendra currently is running a care home for PLHA. The centre has a capacity to accommodate 20 people for both male and female PLHAs. In the care home PLHAs receive care and support if they are ill and receiving ART from the hospital. Also counseling services are offered the centre. Also outreach and referral services are offered and KYC-Punarjiwan Kendra will be doing PMTCT follow-up for its clients as well.

In order to extend access of this program an information, referral and counseling centre is set up in Lahan to cover the districts of Siraha and Saptari. Furthermore, we are currently looking into opportunities to set up a similar centre in Udayapur district.

From 2009 KYC-Punarjiwan Kendra will also run a Community Home Based Care program.

2.6 Sexual and Reproductive Health

The objective of the program is to improve sexual and reproductive health of marginalized and disadvantaged communities. The program includes teaching families about safe-sex practices and birth control. Furthermore, literacy classes contribute to help marginalized women become better educated and improve access to sexual and reproductive health services.

2.7 VCT / STI / PHC

In Dharan and Itahari KYC-Punarjiwan Kendra is currently offering Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) services. Furthermore, tests and advice can be sought here regarding Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI). Besides these, Primary Health Care (PHC) service is also offered to the community.

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