Late one night in 2005, Noori Saleem received a call from a ragpicker who had found an abandoned newborn in a thorny patch near Tambaram, with bloodstains on her body. “I rushed there and learned that the child was just two days old, along with a letter that said, ‘this child is the reason why we got HIV’ in Telugu. My eyes were watery, red, and my heart was heavy, but I had no second thought; I took her home and provided all the medical help she needed,” Saleem recalled.
The child survived and grew up healthy and educated, becoming one of over 100 children nurtured by Saleem through her organization, the SIP Memorial Trust. Each child refers to her as “Amma,” meaning mother in Tamil. “I refused to let the disease define them. They deserved the same care and respect as any other child, and whenever that was missing, I made sure to step in,” she said.
Saleem’s mission is rooted in a life marred by rejection, resilience, and defiance of social norms. Born Noori Mohammad on September 4, 1950, in Chennai, she was the second child in a household overshadowed by grief. She lost her mother and siblings before the age of five. Her formal education ended in third grade, not due to a lack of intelligence, but because of physical changes that drew ridicule.
“Salim Bhai, your son is walking like a girl,” people would mock her father. At fourteen, facing unbearable punishments for perceived disobedience, Saleem fled her home and found herself living on the streets of Chennai, working as house help while grappling with constant harassment. A brief return home in 1972 after her father’s death revealed her outsider status when her stepmother arranged a marriage for her, hoping for dowry. Determined to protect herself and the other woman, Saleem ran away again.
Her next refuge was Mumbai, where she joined the Hijra community, surviving by begging and collecting discarded bottles. There, she met Datta, a military man who treated her as a woman. “For him and us, I wanted to transform into a woman physically, but no doctor was willing to perform the surgery. Only my transgender community stood by me,” she said. Her transition was arduous and self-administered, with surgery performed without anesthesia.
After returning to Chennai, the couple lived on the margins for sixteen years until Datta’s tragic death in 1985 from a plane crash. Struggling for employment opportunities, Saleem became a commercial sex worker. In July 1987, she learned she was HIV-positive, the second person in India diagnosed with the virus. “I spent a week consumed by sadness, trapped by society’s stigma and the looming fear of death,” she said.
Saleem’s life took a positive turn when she met Dr. Usha Raghavan, who offered counseling, education, and hope. By then, she had already adopted three children from sex workers, forming a family from fragments rejected by society. With Dr. Raghavan’s help, she secured a job in the sexually transmitted disease department at Chennai’s Government Hospital, earning ₹800 per month and learning essential medical skills that enabled her to care for her adopted children.
Through outreach work, Saleem partnered with Dr. Joseph Williams to create the South India Positive (SIP) Network. She thrived in this role, managing projects and leading a team, eventually establishing SIP Memorial Home in 2003 in memory of three friends lost to HIV. Initially aimed at HIV awareness, it evolved into a shelter for abandoned children due to their HIV-positive status.
“Denial of education and stripping her dream to be a teacher made Noori bear the weight of rejection,” a colleague noted. Saleem emphasized, “I know too well how deeply parents shape a child’s mind. These children are never to blame for their HIV status.” Her home provides food, education, medical care, and dignity amidst limited government support, which offers a mere ₹1,000 per month for each HIV-affected child—far from enough to cover essential living costs.
Naga Teja, who joined the SIP Memorial Trust in 2007, now works as a counselor with the Tamil Nadu AIDS Control Society. “More than 60 people who grew up here are now married and living peaceful lives,” he stated. Alumni have found success in various fields, and with proper medical care and antiretroviral treatment, HIV-positive parents can give birth to HIV-negative children, promising a healthier future.
Saleem is actively expanding her reach. Her organization has recently moved to its own building, enhancing stability for the children under her care. She also volunteers as a caretaker for adults over eighteen, mentors women in motherhood, and supports individuals in believing in a future beyond their diagnosis. She aspires to establish a home for the transgender community in Chennai, open to all irrespective of age or HIV status.
Her advocacy goes beyond her immediate work; Saleem frequently speaks at events in India and abroad, having visited twenty-six countries to raise awareness on HIV, gender identity, and social inclusion. She has become a voice for marginalized communities often overlooked by mainstream society. Through decades of discrimination and hardship, Saleem has not only built a home for vulnerable children but has also established a legacy of care and empowerment.
For Saleem, this work is profoundly personal. Each abandoned child she rescues echoes her experiences of neglect and stigma, challenging societal norms and highlighting the failures of government and social structures that leave marginalized individuals without help. “Government support is never enough. Children need more than money; they need dignity, education, and love,” she asserted.
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