Red Ribbon Express moves on

December 29, 2007

The Red Ribbon Express, flagged off on December 1, 2007 from Delhi by

Ms Gandhi, the UPA Chairperson, has chugged through 16 stations

crisscrossing Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra

" This exhibition has been an eye-opener for me, as I knew very little

about HIV. Now that I have learnt about it I realize that each one of

us must protect ourselves. In my village most people don't know

enough, and I will go back and tell them more about HIV, " Ram Hari, a

coolie from Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan, commented. This was

a reaction that many people, who visited the exhibition coaches of

the Red Ribbon Express, shared with him.

The project, which was an idea mooted by Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, is

being implemented by National AIDS Control Organisation, in

partnership with NYKS, the Ministry of Railways and UNICEF

The eight-coach train is a mobile exhibition on HIV/AIDS with a sleek

multi-media presentation on all its aspects and Counseling and

Training facilities on board. The number of visitors to the

exhibition has crossed 75000 and more than 9000, including 2000

women, have benefited from the professional counseling provided on

the train.

With 102 training sessions having been conducted for a cross-section

of citizens keen to get clarity on the issue, the training program

has succeeded in reaching out to over 5400 participants. Government

officials, elected representatives from Panchayats, community

leaders, educationists, health workers, NGOs and youth groups have

attended the training sessions.

The cycle troupes traveling on board have performed in over 600

villages disseminating information on HIV/AIDS and adopting healthy

life styles by mobilizing about 1.75 lakh people. In addition, an

educational bus, which is part of the Project, has covered over 75

block headquarters and villages en-route, reaching out to 35000

people. Exhibition on HIV/AIDS, performances by Song and Drama

troupes, condom demonstrations and opening of new condom outlets are

the major activities undertaken along the bus route. All this is

being supported by additional local level HIV awareness programmes

being conducted by the State AIDS Control Societies.

The train entered Chhattisgarh today and will stop at Durg and

Bilaspur in the State before reaching Katni in Madhya Pradesh in the

New Year.

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