Updates from SFDRT Pondicherry

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum members

We from Society for Development Research and Training (SfDRT) Pondicherry wish

to share with you an update of our activities in the recent past for your

information:

1. Observance of World AIDS Day: Since we are associated with a targeted

intervention with the cine industry in Chennai we try to rope in the artists to

the existing HIV/AIDS program and that's how we invited Ms. Kuyili a leading

cinema and TV serial artist, who willingly came forward to facilitate the

interactive session with the media and the Pondicherry Women's Network of People

living with HIV/AIDS. There were hard moments between the groups and the media

and it was amazing that the facilitator who was totally new to the subject was

so well informed, handled with tremendous maturity and the women's positive

group was thereby inaugurated and SFDRT takes the major task of empowering and

giving them the major skills to take on.

Pondicherry has a power cut for one minute arranged by SFDRT, to observe the

World AIDS Day with candles in the memory of those who have perished with AIDS

and those of the women and children who have been living with HIV

2. Celebration of Suppose Christmas: Deprivation is something that is acquired

and not a fair deal because we are all born the same. How ever SFDRT felt that

the children who were HIV positive and the children of sex workers, who have

been called as such for no fault of theirs, had a wonderful ceremony of suppose

Christmas on the 23rd of December 2004 at the SFDRT community care center,

integrating themselves with the general pubic shredding their inhibitions

towards stigma and discrimination.

3. International Day of sex workers united against violence - December 17th 04:

Sex Workers who are also women and men joined together to globally observe

December 17th as the International Day of sex workers united against violence

for the second consecutive year, which was also initiated by SFDRT at

Pondicherry for the first time in India. We had participation to the tune of

round 200 delegates or more, who are sex workers and people who are working with

organizations who strive for the welfare of sex workers. All forms of violence

which was state wise were depicted with creativity. A march by the delegates,

officers and general public through the streets of Pondicherry to the Ayye

Mandapam built in the memory of a sex worker during the reign of King

Krishnadevaraya at Pondicherry marked the acceptance that was rendered to the

women in prostituion debarring their status and for the fact they are women in

violence. Delegates were predominantly from Tamilnadu, Andhrapradesh, karnataka,

Kerala, Goa etc. The program was facilitated by a leading cine artist Ms.

Rohini, who was sensitive to the issues.

4. Tsunami Relief: Devastating moments in Andaman's and as an organsiation

working with targeted interventions for the prevention and care of HIV/AIDS with

the prisoners and poachers at Andaman's SFDRT arranged and is still arranging to

give out new bedsheets and drinking water carried by Jet Airways as a free

consignment every day to the Andaman's.

For further details: http://www.sfdrt.org

With warm regards

Shyamala Ashok

SFDRT - chennai, Vellore, Pondicherry and Andamans

E-mail: <aabinand@...>