Plight of Benson & Bensey: We are delighted by Indian leaders actions

[Guest guest]

The Honourable APJ Abdul Kalam,President of India.

Dear President Kalam,

We have been in previous communication with each other in regard to the plight

of the HIV-infected siblings, Benson and Bency of Kollam.

Through the AIDS -I NDIA e forum, we have now learned of your meeting with the

children and their grandfather in Kochi on Friday and the subsequent

announcement by the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Ms Sushma

Swaraj, concerning their medical treatment expenses and their schooling.

We in Australia are delighted at your involvement and predict great things will

flow from it in terms of your HIV/AIDS awareness programmes throughout

India.These two young faces of India will do much to battle the stigma,the

discrimination and the dreadfulness loneliness of HIV and AIDS.

We have asked Ms Swaraj if she might supply us with photographs of her meeting

with the children so that we may carry them on our website in the hope that this

story might also influence other nations.

If there are photographs available of yourself with these children and any

particular comment you might feel inclined to offer us we would be delighted to

publish them on our www.aids.net.au website which presently carries this story

and your previous comments to us.

I have also included herein the content of our separate email to Ms Swaraj.

Yours sincerely,

Haill,

President,

The Australian AIDS Fund Incorporated,

Melbourne,Australia.

Email: bhaill@...

Website: www.aids.net.au

***********************

Ms Sushma Swaraj,

Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare,

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,

Government of India,

New Delhi.

-----------------------------------

Dear Ms Swaraj,

The eforum today carries the wonderful news of your Ministerial

announcement that the public sector unit, Hindustan Latex, will be meeting the

treatment expenses for the HIV-infected siblings,Bency and Benson for the next

five years, and, most vitally too, that the children will be able to attend

regular schooling within the next year.

We have been concerned at the plight of these two children and have been

carrying details of their story on our www.aids.net.au website, having also

appealed to President Kalam on their behalf that they be allowed to lead a

normal life as much as possible, inter-acting with other children.

We are utterly delighted at your action and applaud your humanity.

It is our belief that the world's children can play a seismic role in turning

around national attitudes concerning discrimination and stigma with regard to

HIV/AIDS. It has happened in Australia...through a young girl, Eve van

Grafhorst....in the United States through the young boy, White, and most

recently through the bravery of the young South African boy, Nkosi .

We understand that you have been photographed meeting with and hugging the

children with the expressed hope that the distribution of such photographs will

assist in India's national awareness campaign to help disperse discrimination

and stigma.

Your very public intervention will be applauded internationally and is exactly

the type and style of inter-action that will confront and effectively defeat the

threat of HIV.

We very much hope that a new life lies ahead for Benson and Bency.

We would be grateful if your Departrment would email us photographs of yourself

with Benson and Bency so that we may publish them on our website as a tribute to

India, and as an encouragement to other nations.

We would also be very pleased to carry ongoing reports of the children as you

may make them available.

We understand that there are many other such children like Benson and Bency

throughout India and we especially applaud your announcement that a survey will

identify their needs to ensure that they may be provided with anti-viral drugs

through the national healthcare system.

The Australian AIDS Fund will also convey its delight at this news to President

Kalam and will invite others around the world to do the same. He may be emailed

at presidentofindia@...

It is a great initiative!

The Australian people very much applauds and welcomes your actions.

Thank you!

Haill,

President,

The Australian AIDS Fund Inc.,

Melbourne, Australia

Website: www.aids.net.au

E-mail: <bhaill@...>