Her world came tumbling down, the moment she realized that her husband has been affected by HIV / AIDS. Usha's husband was working as an engineer in a private firm in Maharashtra , when he contracted the deadly virus.

Usha too soon realized that she too had unknowingly contracted the HIV virus from her husband. "It was just the beginning of a series of disasters in my life" says Usha. Her husband soon succumbed to HIV / AIDS, leaving Usha waiting for her turn.

But Usha was lucky enough to find solace soon following her visit to a nearby Jyothis centre run by the Kerala State AIDS Control Society (KSACS). The counseling she received at Jyothis transformed her to think positively and to regain her lost confidence. "I was able to get a good insight of what HIV / AIDS was all about and the information received from the Jyothis centre also helped me to shed some of my ignorance and wrong notions about HIV / AIDS," says Usha.

Without losing time, Usha started taking ART and she still maintains a good health. Further to her disciplined way of life, Usha's life became more exciting and meaningful, when she joined C.P.K. Plus, a group promoting self-employment. The group undertakes production of paper carry-bags, soaps, dyes and ayurvedic medicinal concoctions. As a member of C.P.K. Plus, Usha soon realized that there were many other women like her, who just defied the will of fate and instead continued to lead a normal life, filled with confidence.

"Now, the very thought that I am an HIV infected person, doesn't haunt me anymore," says Usha. These days she is also actively involved in the programs of KSACS, besides being associated with the self-help-group.