Spirituality and Development in Marginalised Community: A Study of People Living with HIV in Kathmandu and Pokhara

Abstract

Spirituality and development are intrinsically related. People living with HIV (PLHIV), who make up a marginalized community, are discriminated against by family and society. There is a dearth of studies on how people living with HIV use their faith to go ahead in improving their quality of life, especially in the context of Nepal. This study attempts to examine the lived experiences of PLHIV in relation to their spirituality and development. It follows a qualitative research methodology, based on in-depth interviews with PLHIV in two cities of Nepal: Kathmandu and Pokhara. PLHIV give credit to God for improving their quality of life, by helping them find a job and/or re-imagining their social status through networking. This paper concludes that spirituality and better quality of life proceed side-by-side in marginalized communities, especially for PLHIV, both in Nepal and in other Asian countries with similar socio-cultural contexts.

Keywords: Development; Discrimination; HIV; Religion; Spirituality