Chandigarh: Red Ribbon Clubs in Schools

[Guest guest]

AIDS awareness club opens in KBDAV-7

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 25

The Red Ribbon Club for HIV-AIDS awareness was today inaugurated by Mrs Jean

Rodrigues, First Lady of Punjab and Chandigarh, at KB DAV Senior Secondary

Public School, Sector 7.

This club has been started by the Yuvsatta and State AIDS Control Society, UT,

to sensitise young people who are at greater risk to HIV in community. Ms Madhu

Bahl, Principal of the school, informed that the club would address the

knowledge, attitude and behaviour of

youth in the inter-related areas of HIV/AIDS and sexuality, as demanded by their

age, environment and lifestyle.

Ms Bahl further said to make the AIDS education activities sustainable in the

school, two question boxes had been put up in the school library and canteen in

which students can put anonymous questions related to HIV/AIDS. Trained teachers

would subsequently organise talks or presentations on matters raised in these

queries.

Introducing the concept of the Red Ribbon Club, Dr Trikha, Project

Director, State AIDS Control Society, UT, Chandigarh, said its objective is to

reduce new HIV infection among the youth through

proper education on sex and sexuality and HIV/AIDS.

Mrs Rodrigues highlighted that 50 per cent of all HIV infections occurred

in the productive young age of 15 to 24 years. So, it is high time not only to

prevent new infections from spreading in our young generation but also to

channelise their energies in spreading the message of ‘healthy lifestyle’.

On the occasion, students of the school staged a beautifully choreographed skit

and songs on HIV/AIDS awareness. Forty poor children of Bapu Dham Colony adopted

by KB DAV-7 under a programme ‘AHSAS’, were given new uniforms on the occasion

by Mrs Rodrigues.

Presenting a vote of thanks, Mr Parmod Sharma, coordinator, Yuvsatta, said they

would try to launch more Red Ribbon Clubs in other schools and colleges of the

city.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060726/cth2.htm#8

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PRAMOD SHARMA <yuvsatta@...>