Rendezvous with PWN!

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

Positive Women' Network! Time to arrive! Rather Arrived. It gives me great

delight as I recall my early days, of formation of Maharashtra Positive

Women’s Network in the YMCA campus at Nagpur.

It was the first such movement to operate independently in the Central Province

under the aegis of PWN Chennai, which is in the process expansion of its network

in the Vidharbha region and other part of Maharashtra.

Soon MPWN will be celebrating its second anniversary along with the Indian

Network of Positive Women Chennai, which is also commemorating its tenth year in

Chennai which is the secretariat office of IPWN and other nine Positive

Women’s Network in nine different states and regions across India and under

the aegis of PWNs.

It is encouraging know that how some of these women networks which initiated

their operations with small support and limited experience are now achieving

their objectives and targets through the projects entrusted to them by various

NGOs and agencies and making their presence felt.

And it is even more encouraging to see that most of the office/project staff

comes to office after finishing all the household jobs and carrying out the role

of care giver firstly to her positive husband/children, to the ageing in laws

and in most cases other family folks also receives (rather demand) similar

services and only then finally peddling ten kilometers to the office in time, in

high spirit and prearranged for the project and day to day work with the

constantly ringing Cell Phone.

My observation and long association with positive women’s Network suggests

that their simple strategies and competence to deal with the sensitive issues

and understanding of issues pertaining to family related maters are exceptional

and I also found that they have innate proficiency to take apt decisions in

chaotic situation; I consider some these traits will make them more effective in

the fight against HIV/AIDS in the days to come.

I hope some of my friends working in the HIV/AIDS field will find my experience

encouraging and if so please share your diverse experiences and resources which

will help these women soldiers to perform better in their day to day work and

touch many lives.

Finally great admiration for all their efforts, determination and adoptability

to survive in such competitive and fast changing world of developing sector Best

Wishes and Kudos to all my PWN networks across the state

Samir Shinde

e-mail: <samir_71@...>