You won't be discriminated against, Kalam tells children

[Guest guest]

You won't be discriminated against, Kalam tells children

NEW DELHI: While sitting down to lend a compassionate ear to

children affected by HIV/AIDS, the country's First Citizen was so

moved that he penned down a prayer poem for his visitors.

Nineteen HIV/AIDS affected children met and spoke with the President

during the launch of the " Global campaign on children and HIV/AIDS'

here on Tuesday.

UNICEF has launched the campaign to tackle ignorance about the

disease that, in a year kills 510,000 children under 15 worldwide.

Bound by the Suraksha Bandhan, President Abdul Kalam made a solemn

promise to his guests that he would ensure that they were never

discriminated against and that they would be given an equal

opportunity to lead their lives in dignity.

Mr. Kalam along with UNICEF Country Representative Cecilio Adorna,

National AIDS Control Organisation Director S. Y. Qurashi and UNAIDS

representative Denis Broun took a pledge to support the children

infected/affected with HIV/AIDS and launched the campaign by signing

the " Unite for Children, Unite Against HIV/AIDS " scroll that will

travel with the Red Ribbon Express across the country as part of a

signature campaign.

In their interaction with the President, the children — some of whom

have lost both their parents to AIDS — told him about their daily

struggle against discrimination by their neighbours, relatives,

fellow students and even by officials at educational institutions.

" I told the President that I was being teased at school because I am

HIV positive and he told me to write down the names of the people

who trouble me and the address of my school. I am sure he will make

things better for me, " said 14-year-old Latha, a Class VI student

from Tamil Nadu.

Other children from Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra narrated

similar stories. They spoke of the pain of living a life riddled

with stigma. " I did not tell the President about my problems, " said

17-year-old Raghuvaran from Tamil Nadu.

" He is such a big man and I thought that I should tell him about my

dreams instead. I told him that I want to become an Indian

Administrative Services officer to serve the nation. He encouraged

me and now I feel that I can achieve my goal, " said Raghuvaran.

The President has asked agencies working in the field to educate the

children about the fact that their problem could be contained

through medicines and that they should not have to fear that they

would die of the disease. " Work is in progress in India for the

development of an anti-HIV vaccine,'' said Mr. Kalam.

" HIV/AIDS has made an enormous impact on children, but their voices

remain hidden. Children are the missing face in the fight against

HIV/AIDS. The governments and society should listen to the voices of

these children for which the campaign has been launched, " said Mr.

Adorna.

http://www.hindu.com/2005/10/26/stories/2005102620411700.htm