While it is always nice to receive a gift, Christmas is a time for giving, and some of the employees of BNP Paribas Netherlands chose to donate their gifts towards a good cause. In the Christmas spirit, this year’s cause is the support of children in India affected by HIV / AIDS.

The donation to Net4Kids covers the costs of one child for an entire year. The donation includes payment for education, food, skill development training, child rights and advocacy training, yoga, emergency aid, salaries for coordination and field staff, counseling of widow mothers, income generating program and local administration costs.

AIDS is a serious problem in the Namakkal district of the Indian state of Tamilnadu. The major drought caused by lack of monsoon rains has led to increased labour migration, which increases the spread of the disease. Aid services lack the necessary means and are spread too thinly to offer effective resistance. Many children directly or indirectly fall victim to HIV/AIDS, either by becoming infected themselves or because their parents die of the disease. These children are stigmatised and discriminated against due to ignorance about the condition in the community.

For more information on Net4Kids and the project, you can visit the website at: http://www.net4kids.org