Metro Plus
Chennai
Hyderabad
Spreading hope
RAJKUMARI CONTRACTED AIDS from her HIV positive husband. But she realised the seriousness of the disease only after her husband's death. Ostracised by family and society, Rajkumari today works as a counsellor with an AIDS control society in the city.
Tears welled up in everyone's eyes when she narrated her poignant story at an "AIDS Awareness Campaign" for slum women organised by the New Hope Area Development Programme (ADP) of World Vision India (WVI), here at Okkiam Thoraipakkam.
Apart from the emotional chord, which the participants were able to strike with the audience, the programme also served as an eye-opener to understanding the realities and dispelling the myths about the deadly disease.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Manorama, Director, Community Health Education and Society (CHES), urged women to play a pivotal role in combating AIDS in their families.
She also threw light on the precautionary measures to be taken during blood donation and transfusion to prevent AIDS.
Prateep Philip, DIG, Intelligence Crime Branch, advocated the need for cultivating a positive attitude in combating AIDS.
"A new system of thinking is imperative. Be calm to beat anger, be cheerful to beat depression and be positive to beat AIDS," he said.
The campaign is part of the WVI's endeavour to usher in a holistic transformation of societies through awareness and education.
The New Hope, which is one among the 107 ADP's, that comes under the WVI, spends around 3.5 lakhs per annum on AIDS advocacy programmes alone.
Even though child sponsorship forms the core objective of New Hope ADP, the funds received from international donors are utilised for the overall progress of the community as the welfare of a child is directly related to the society in which he lives.
SANGEETH KURIAN
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Chennai
Hyderabad
|
