Archive · 30 Nov 2025
Couple Raises 650 HIV-Positive Children Amid Attacks
A kind couple named Datta and Sandhya Bargaje started a home for children with HIV.
They faced many challenges, like people not wanting the children around and having to move many times.
But they never gave up.
They built a special place called Anandgram on a big rock where the children could live safely.
They fought for the children to go to school and get medicine.
Over the years, more than 650 children have lived there, grown up, and become nurses, mechanics, and more.
The couple showed that love and care can make a big difference, even in hard times.
Datta and Sandhya Bargaje started the Infant India Trust in 2006 to care for HIV-positive children.
They faced evictions and attacks but persisted in finding a safe home for the children.
Anandgram, a home on a barren rock, was established to provide a permanent shelter.
The couple fought for the children's education and medical access, including ART medicines.
Over 650 children have been raised at Anandgram, many of whom are now working professionals.
- Who
- Datta and Sandhya Bargaje, an HIV-negative couple, and the 650 HIV-positive children they raised.
- What
- The couple founded the Infant India Trust and later Anandgram, a home for HIV-positive children.
- When
- The journey began in 2006, and the home is still active today.
- Where
- Beed, Maharashtra, India.
- Why
- To provide a safe and loving home for HIV-positive children who were often abandoned or ostracized.
- Number of Children Raised
- 650
- Location
- Beed, Maharashtra
- Founded
- 2006
- Founders
- Datta and Sandhya Bargaje
- Current Residents
- 15 widows and 18 orphans
- Medicine Access
- ART medicines available locally since 2010
- Education
- Children enrolled in Zila Parishad High School
- Burial Ground
- Vedna Dafanbhumi on Anandgram Rock