Global Week of Action - Orissa

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Global Week of Action - Orissa Update

21st –24th May 2006

The programme started in Keonjhar district with the awareness and signature

campaign with the truckers, Dhaba People and local community members organized

by g Jeevika Sampark Committee (JJSC). JJSC developed one page leaflet

consisting of basic information on HIV/AIDS, how Primitive Tribal Groups are

vulnerable to HIV/AIDS in the context of large-scale minning and development

industries, what measures can be taken for the prevention of HIV with the larger

objective of GWA for the rights of PLHA. The campaign has been organized in the

village market places where tribals from interior pockets come for marketing.

Public meetings had been organized in the market places, PHC campus in

collaboration with the doctors and pharmacists at Kanjipani, Janghira, Joda etc.

For the first time, people could internalize the importance of contraceptives

for safe sex. They demanded for the availability of Condoms in the PHCs and CHCs

in tribal areas. In all these meetings and events, participation of women was

more than the men. Signature campaign has been organized in front of the

District Collector's Office, which would continue till 26 th May.

Their messages during the Action Week is " Let's Promise and Strive for an AIDS

Free Indigenous Community " .

Ideal Development Agency (IDA) had organised a mass rally in Joda, which is one

of the core-mining belt of Keojhar district on 22nd May 2006. People from 25

villages participated in the programme. At the end of the rally, one public

meeting had been organised.

Mother Seva Pratisthan (MTSP) Banapur started the programme on 22 nd May

with a Gram Panchayat meeting, which was inaugurated by Mr. Jitendra Samantray,

the Sarpanch of Veteswar Panchayat of Banapur block. The co-relation between

HIV/AIDS and migration highlighted in the meeting. The President of Kalinga

Network of Positive Persons, Mr. Ajaya Patra also participated in the meeting

and shared that lack of government support and interest and lack of awareness is

the major factor for the spread of HIV/AIDS in Orissa. The Sarpanch had interest

to reactivate the HIV awareness campaign in his own Panchayat. The charter of

demand had been submitted to the Block Development Officer through the Sarpanch

for the rights of PLHA of Orissa.

A block level meeting and signature campaign had been organised in Banapur block

of Khurda district. Mr. Baikuntha Nath Tripathy, the BDO of Banapur block, the

Panchayat Samiti Chairman Mr. Baikunthanath Tripathy and ICDS superviser

inaugurated the programme. They had submitted the charter of demand to the

District Collector through the BDO. The SHG members, schoolteachers, ICDS

workers, ANM, GPDO, ALC, VLW etc. were participated in the meeting. All had

promised for an AIDS free World in the meeting.

On the same day, one meeting and Signature campaign had been organised in one

school of Sandhamula G.P of Ganjam district, which is the highest HIV prevalent

district of Orissa. The schoolteachers, ICDS workers, PRI members, CBO/NGO

personnel and more than 200 community members participated in the programme.

MTSP had developed leaflets, which was circulated to everybody during the

meetings organised in Khurda and Ganjam districts of Orissa.

Samuhik Marudi Pratikar Udyam (SMPU) Bolangir started the awareness and

signature campaign on 21 st of May through the cultural troops. More than 10000

persons from the community have already been signed on the charter of demands of

the PLHAs under signature campaigns. 13 cultural troops visiting 14 blocks of

Bolangir district. The meetings were being organized with the women group, SHG

members, leaders of the people's organization, school children and teachers etc.

at the cluster level. Totally 16 NGOs who are the member of SMPU are

participating in the programme in the district.

SMPU in collaboration with two Film Halls in Bolangir, are spreading positive

messages for the care and support of PLHA through the slots during interval,

which would continue in future. A special programme on HIV/AIDS telecasted by

the All India Radio ( AIR), Bolangir on the occasion of GWA, which was sponsored

by SMPU. Posters and leaflets had been developed for the awareness on HIV/AIDS

by the network in this week. The Network is planning a Mega Programme on 25 th

May at the district level.

On 22nd May, 30 PLHAs from 4 districts of Orissa got together in Bhubaneswar and

inaugurated the programme by lighting the candles and had one-minute prayer for

501 deceased PLHAs in Orissa for the salvation of their soul. They had shared

their problems faced in different levels in the meeting. Most of them felt

relieve by discussing their problems with the peer group. Most of them were

living in isolation in their community. They were very happy by meeting their

peer and support group in Bhubaneswar. They had analysed their problem and

prepared a charter of demand for the health minister and chief minister. Ms.

Namita Nanda, Mr. Niraj Mishra and Mr. Mani Sankar Bag had coordinated the

programme and were very happy with the success of the meeting. They have planned

for a state level network of PLHAs, which would be supported by the Orissa AIDS

Solidarity Forum.

Orissa AIDS Solidarity Forum, an informal forum of NGOs, CBOs, activists,

PLHAs came up during the GWA week. It is an inclusive forum which would help the

PLHAs and take collective action like GWA under one banner in one voice for the

rights of PLHAs. Currently 42 organizations from 7 districts of Orissa are part

of this forum.

Rural and Urban Socio-cultural Help ( RUSH) had organised a programme in the

heart of the Puri town, which was inaugurated by Superintendent of Police Mr.

Sanjeev Panda. One cultural troop from Child line had shown a street play on the

occasion for the awareness of public on HIV/AIDS. They had organised a signature

campaign in which tourist, public, government officials, NGO personnel singed in

solidarity for the rights of PLHAs. On 25 th May, they are going to organize a

press meet.

e-mail: <Shashikanta Malick : shashim@...>

--

Sowbhagya Somanadhan

HIV & AIDS Thematic Unit

ActionAid International - India

No.139 , Richmond Road,

Bangalore - 560 025

India

Tel: +91-80-2558-6682 Ext.226

Mob: +91-98457-24004