PLWHA Convention in Guwahati, Assam

[Guest guest]

A GREAT EFFORT TO GATHER PLWHAs IN ASSAM FOR THE FIRST TIME BY ASSAM NETWORK OF

POSITIVE PEOPLE

The 1st Convention for People Living With HIV/AIDS was held in Guwahati at a

renowned City hotel from 17th to 19th July’2005. It was an innovative concept

developed by the team members of Assam Network of Positive People (ANP+) through

which we were looking forward for the active participation by the PLWHAs of

Assam and the convention was aimed at some outcomes, which are as follows:

To improve their quality of life & confidence to live a normal life for long

time.

ANP+ will get 2nd line leadership and it will be a strength of our network.

More positive speaker will be developed.

Reduce self-Stigmation.

PLWHAs will be aware about all the information of our issues.

Develop more confidence in the PLWHAs.

The convention was planned for 3 days and all three days went very successfully.

Day one was started with a inaugural meeting where Mr. Manoj Pardesi, Vice

President of INP+, Dr. S.I.Ahmed, Chairman, AIDS Prevention Society, Dr.

J.C.Dewry, Project Director, Assam State AIDS Control Society were present as

special invitee. After that Chief Minister of Assam Mr. Tarun Gogoi lighten the

Candles as a formal inauguration of the convention. In his small speech he said

that Assam Government would look after the every PLWHAs of Assam in regard to

the stigma and discrimination, ARV medicines and for the Job security. PLWHAs

present in the convention also had a chance to interact with him and they have

said about their problems and requirements to him.

In the second half of the first day Mr. Rekibuddin Ahmed, The President of Assam

Youth Congress came to the convention and in his valuable speech he said that

PLWHAs are not alone and the entire society is with them. If any case of

discrimination happens in Assam than Youth Congress will take over the matter

very seriously. He also promises that Youth Congress and the entire youth

community of Assam are with PLWHAs and they will help in anyways when and where

required.

In the afternoon session Dr. S.I. Ahmed had spoke about the Gender and GIPA with

a slide show and PLWHAs were participated very actively.

Day two was also started with some of the group activities and the day went with

various sessions like Care and Support, Positive speaking, Developing leadership

quality etc.

In the second day evening a bright full fashion show by one of the renowned

fashion designer of Assam Mr. Dipankar Kashyap was organized. In the show called

“Hope and positive living” PLWHAs were in the ramp with the other models of the

troop consisting MSM, infected women and infected children. During the fashion

show some celebrities from the cultural world of Assam were also present.

Amongst them Mr. Bhabesh Thakur, Dr. Ms. Malaya Goswami, Mr. Biju Phukan, Mr.

Pranjal Saikia and Ms. Purnima Saikia, Ms. Akashitara Dutta, Mr. Ravi Sharma,

Ms. Chetna Das are film artist and from the young generation the most popular

singer of Assam Mr. Zubeen Garg, Mr. Manas Rabin along with the writer and

producer Mr. Pabitra Margherita and his entire team were present. After

finishing the show they had a very fruitful exchange programmes in the

convention.

In this session PLWHAs had a very great time with the celebrities and

celebrities also had a long discussion with the PLWHAs. At the end of the

discussion an open-air dinner was also organized and in that dinner everybody

takes food together without segregating to each other.

Day three was kept for the Annual General Body meeting of Assam Network of

Positive People. In the AGM the new Board members were elected through a

democratic election procedure.

In this entire process Ms. Sudeshna Bannerjee from Bengal Network of Positive

People helped ANP+. She spent three days amongst us and shared her knowledge to

each and everyone.

The convention was finished with a vote of thanks by Jahnabi Goswami, New

President of Assam Network of Positive People.

At the end of three days team work of PLWHAs the following needs come out from

the team:

Increase the facilities and Service of ARV/ OI through all the district level

Hospitals in free of Cost for PLHA and their children.

The charges of CD4 COUNT in Government Hospitals have to be minimized or free

of cost.

Doctors should be believed in equality (Mainly in case ofTreatment)

Facilities of Orphans of PLHA.

Infected and Affected Children of PLHA Should get facilities like Care,

Treatment, Education, equity like other children.

Each and Every PLHA Have some right to do any type of work, No discrimination is

not coming from work Place. Society takes this responsibility.

Government should take the responsibility for improvement of quality of life of

PLHA, in State level and Central Level.

IGP for PLHA, especially for women of BPL.

The key Persons of the Society is responsible to give access and strengthen the

Power of PLHA.

All information regarding HIV/AIDS should be available for all.

Media should be takes a big role in this HIV/AIDS field.

Awareness Program will be held in different level of the society where all the

PLHA are involved in a different role. ( e.g. Positive Speakers, staff of

NGOS,CBOS, members of SHG.)

GIEPA / MIEPA Should be maintained in all the Policy makers.

IEC should be published, with, full of Positive messages, and network activities

of PLHA.

The 1st PLWHAs convention was finished with a high success rate. A total number

of 70 PLWHAs including more than 10 children were participated in all three

days. We hope this kind of convention will help PLWHAs to come out fearlessly

and confidently to such a platform where they can share their views, opinions,

and ideas to each other. It is also very important that to fight against the

stigma and discrimination to PLWHAs all PLWHAs should be together and they can

make a great change to prevent and control of HIV/AIDS in entire Assam.

JAHNABI GOSWAMI

President, ANP+

E-mail: <jahnabig@...>