Recently widowed, HIV-positive and severely depressed, Boigigul was struggling to follow recommendations on how to avoid passing the virus to her newborn daughter. She’d been warned not to breastfeed, told that this increases the risk of infection, but she couldn’t afford to buy milk powder for Shakrona.

A friend advised her to go to Guli Surkh, a community group offering support to people living with HIV. At first Shakrona was given free infant formula milk. Now she’s on to porridge made with food aid provided by the organization.

The milk powder, flour, oil, beans and other items make a difference. “The food packages are really helping. The majority of patients are poor – this is good support for them,” says Kamilova Sevar Rahimovna, who established and runs the center.

Boigigul’s husband had given up injecting drugs to marry her, but happiness was short lived. He got sick, they went together for an HIV test and he died of tuberculosis a few days later. Pregnant and grieving, Boigigul went back alone to collect their results – both were positive. She followed a course of drugs to help prevent transmission of HIV and when Shakrona was born, the baby was also given prophylactic drugs. Boigigul approached Guli Surkh because she’d heard about the free baby food. When she got there, she found other help on offer too.

“Before coming to this center I was very upset thinking about things and tried several times to kill myself,” she reflects. “But when I came here I found I am not alone. There are a lot of people to support me. It’s what helped me overcome my depression.”

Boigigul still has a hard time with the attitudes of those around her. Five families share the facilities in her house. They don’t understand how the virus is transmitted, so when Boigigul goes to the bathroom they ask her if they’ll catch HIV. Common issues like these get dealt with and forgotten about in the self-help group meetings at Guli Surkh. “We’re all friends here,” she says smiling.

Guli Surkh, which means “red flower”, uses Global Fund financing to help around 30 HIV-positive pregnant women access services to prevent transmission of the virus. It also helps provide antiretroviral therapy for around 20 HIV-positive children, as well as around 250 adults. Clients are accompanied by Guli Surkh staff to specialist medical services and the organization arranges for social workers to make home visits. The emphasis is on ensuring HIV-positive people - particularly young mums - don’t feel isolated.