Soulmate Searching powered by GSNP+: 5 happy couples formed at the Pasandagi Mel

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

Greetings from GSNP+

On the last Sunday of December (28th), almost 200 HIV Positive

People searched for their soulmate in an event organized by the

Gujarat State Network of People Living with HIV & AIDS (GSNP+) with

the cooperation of the Marriage Bureau. At the end of the day 5

couples found each other and will be getting married in the near

future.

The Pasandagi Mela ran through the whole Sunday at the Reliance

Community Care Centre in Hazira and was funding supported by GSACS.

A total of 45 women and 153 men from all over Gujarat participated

in the event that started off with a morning prayer and blessing

speeches by the chief guests Dr. Mewara, Reliance Chief Medical

Officer and Mr. Nanubhai Vanani,(MLA- Government of Gujarat).

Afterwards each registered participant came to the stage, where a

brief resume of their data was read out. The soulmate selection

process occurred during lunch time, with the help of GSNP+'s

mediators.

According to Mrs Daxa Patel, president of GSNP+, these type of

initiatives fulfil several goals: the socialization of HIV positive

people and the search for their life partner helps them to fight

loneliness and depression; it also helps to mainstream HIV positive

people into society; and the session delivered by Mr. Laxman, vice-

president of GSNP+, on positive prevention and positive living at

the end of the day, provided the audience with valuable information

for a long and healthy life as a positive person. The Mela also

provided a platform for women to choose their life partner, working

as an empowering mechanism. Out of the female participants, 4 were

widows and all of them found a soulmate.

This program was supported by Gujarat State AIDS Control Society.

With Best Regards,

Irfan Bilakhiya

Project Officer

Jatan Project

GSNP+ Gujarat