All Gujarat Review Meeting on NGO/CBO Response to HIV/AIDS/STI

[Guest guest]

A two day meeting for All Gujarat Review Meeting on NGO/CBO Response to

HIV/AIDS/STIs : Understanding and Future Action Plan, is being held on April

29-30, 2003, at Dr. Jivraj Mehta Asmita Bhavan, Civil Hospital Compound,

Ahmedabad.

This meeting is organized by Gujarat AIDS Awareness and Prevention (GAP)

unit of ISRCDE, with the objective to review the working of the NGOs and to

learn from each other Over 200 participants from 110 NGOs are participating

in this two-day meeting.

In his inaugural address, Dr. R.B. Deshmukh, Project Director, Gujarat State

AIDS Control Society, congratulated GAP for its tremendous work in the field

of HIV/AIDS championing the cause. It is a Herculean task to bring over 110

NGOs together with the participation of 200 participants - showing the work

of Gujarat state NGOs. The work done in the state is a combined effort of

the government and NGOs together and this is surely going to bring the

pursued goal to reality.

Dr. Radium Bhattacharya - Director, GAP, presented GAP's fourteen year

response to HIV/AIDS bringing to the fore milestones and achievements of the

organization. On this occasion, a book GAP's response to

HIV/AIDS -1989-2002, was released by Dr. R. B. Deshmukh.

The first day's proceedings covered presentations by NGO representatives on

the work on HIV/AIDS programmes with adolescents, targeted interventions -

migrant workers, diamond polish workers, tribal youth and women, women

empowerment and enabling environment, and were discussed in detail as well.

It was great to see the participation of GAP trained teachers in the field

of HIV/AIDS- who shared and presented their experiences, and who are

committed to the cause of educating adolescents on reproductive and sexual

health - and extended their offer to give their services for the spread of

the awareness on the subject in every village of Gujarat as well in

different parts of India.

There was a vacuum felt for the need for appropriate materials to work in

rural areas. NGOs recommended that materials should be available.

The day was brought to an end by the formation of Gujarat Network of NGOs

working on HIV/AIDS (GUNN). Participants decided to form a district level of

NGOs. The first meeting of this network, in a formal way will be organized

in June 2003.

Two films from the series " Face to face " with PWHA, led the group towards a

positive direction towards this years campaign message " Live and Let Live " .

GAP-ISRCDE

E-mail: <gapad1@...>