A grateful Australian thank you for Indian tribal village boycotts response

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum members,

As an Australian non government AIDS agency concerned about the dreadful damage

that can be inflicted on individuals and communities as a result of stigma and

discimination against men, women and children struggling to live with HIV/AIDS,

we would like to publicly record in this international e forum our deep

appreciation for the swift response of the Freedom-Foundation- India

organisation to our very recent appeal to assist the women boycotted by their

tribal hamlet in the Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh as a result of them

going to the childbirth assistance of an HIV positive woman turned out of her

own village.

The response of Freedom-Foundation-India, and especially its units in in Andhra

Pradesh, was immediate, thorough and and most gratifying and its undertaking to

continue to both oversee the ongoing situation in addition to providing a series

of sensitization programmes is to be very much applauded. It's a superb example

of shared concern and response.

At a time when there's so much hurt and distress and damage caused by such

stigma and discrimination, examples of responses like this need to be widely

publicised so that attitudes can and must be changed anywhere and everywhere in

the world.

When we posted our appeal, a number of other agencies in India also expressed

their concern to us and we also thank them for their moral support. We were

greatly encouraged.

We hope to further develop our links with the Freedom-Foundation-India in this

vital work.

With best wishes.

Haill,

The Australian AIDS Fund Incorporated,

Melbourne, Australia.

E-mail: <bhaill@...>