Shreepal Saptasagar
UNICEF Intia - Hiv-aids-työn koordinaattori
November 1, 2008
World AIDS Day Rally
Every year, we observe ‘World AIDS Day’ on 1st December. The district’s government hospital organizes a rally with the help of a few non governmental organizations and school children. The rally starts at the district hospital and ends at the Collectors Office.
Last year was a different day for all of us. Everyone in the district, where UNICEF trained more than 3500 youth peer educators from 317 villages across the district participated in day long activities. Local government officials including medical and police representatives and community leaders took part in this mega event. I was part of the organizing committee for this programme.
The Rally was inaugurated by lightening a symbolic torch of knowledge and covered a distance of 3 kilometers. The participating young people delivered HIV and AIDS messages and distributed AIDS awareness material throughout the rally. The vibrant young peer educators carried banners and signboards reflecting World’s AIDS Day message of the 2007-08 year: “Stop AIDS; Keep the Promise – Leadership”.
At the end of the rally, an oath was delivered:
• We live healthy lives and protect ourselves and our relatives and friends from HIV and AIDS.
• We will provide care and support to the people living with HIV and their family.
• We will not stigmatise nor discriminate against people living with HIV at our workplaces, furthermore, we will educate our colleagues on HIV and AIDS to reduce stigma and discrimination..
• We take care of people living with HIV so that they will not be deprived of their human rights.
After the oath, we all moved to the Neminathnagar grounds where cultural activities took place. Through these cultural activities information was given about HIV and AIDS. Thousands of people from surrounding areas gathered for this event. The district’s superintendent of police, Mr. Krishna Prakash, known for his “Corrupt Free Community’ drive, addressed the gathering and assured support from his department to help fight against AIDS stigma and discrimination.
This was all made possible thanks to UNICEF’s strong support in reaching each and every village, and the hearts of young people in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
