'Positives' ready for a 'shoot' in kerala

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum

For the first time, a group of people living with HIV, who have not been exposed

so far by the media voluntarily agreed to participate in the photo shoot

intended to develop various IEC materials for Kerala SACS. The IEC materials

were posters and leaflets with regard to drop in centres, positive prevention,

positve living etc of Kerala.

______________

Not modelling, they were aiding a cause

Thiruvananthapuram: For first-timers, they did well. And after they finished

posing for the camera, they sipped tea and chatted. But there was something

special about this photography session and the six men and a woman who modelled

for it.

They were perhaps the largest HIV-infected group from the state to model for

brochures and leaflets being brought out by the Kerala State Aids Control

Society (KSACS) to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS among the people.

" We don?t care if the society knows that we are HIV-infected. The more we

withdraw from the society the more the stigma, " said Sunny Antony who is

employed as a peer counsellor at the Cherthala unit of the KSACS. The session

was held at the KSACS Project Supporting Unit at Jawahar Nagar.

The photographs taken on Saturday will appear on brochures, posters and leaflets

being prepared by the KSACS as part of its Information, Education and

Communication (IEC) campaign. The " models " came from various parts of the state

for the " shoot. "

Like Sreekumar M., who was detected HIV positive 16 years ago. An autorickshaw

driver, he came all the way from Changanassery.

Bitter memories come to the fore when he recalls how his family had reacted to

his situation. " They took me to a care centre and left me there with a couple of

clothes and Rs 500. They told the caretakers to let them know when I was dead so

they could have a last look. But they said they would not take my body with

them. "

Each of the seven has similar, painful stories to relate. For the KSACS

officials too, they have come as a surprise. " A few years ago, it would have

been impossible to think of casting HIV-infected people from Kerala, " a KSACS

official said.

Usually, when preparing campaign materials, these officials have to depend on

HIV infected people from Tamil Nadu, as patients from the state were reluctant

fearing the social stigma.

The sole woman in the group, Bindu , has had some prior experience facing

a camera. She was featured in a television capsule on AIDS in May last.

According to the KSACS officials, Bindu must have been the first HIV-infected

from Kerala who showed her face in an advertisement on the infection.

" I am now a " positive speaker " for KSACS, which means I counsel the

HIV-infected. " Bindu has a three-year-old daughter while her husband had died of

AIDS three years ago.

" Fortunately, my daughter was tested negative, " she said. Her parents and

brothers care for her too. In that way, her situation is worlds apart from many

HIV-affected people.

According to the group, when HIV-infected people appear in an advertisement

meant to raise awareness about the infection, it creates a lot more impact than

featuring an ordinary model or film star. They are happy that they could form

part of the shoot.

http://www.newindpress.com/Print.asp?ID=IEO20061009021400

__________________________

S.Ajai Kumar

Programme Officer IEC

Kerala SACS

Red Cross Road

Thiruvananthapuram - 35

Kerala.

e-mail: <ajai.ksacs@...>