 Objective:-
To
Create Awareness about HIV/AIDS Epidemic among the Christian
Youth and Sunday School Children.
District back ground:-
Kandy is
the hill capital of the Central Province of Sri Lanka. Foreign and
local tourists are attracted to it owing to its unique historical
and environmental heritage. Sourrounded mostly by tea plantations,
Kandy is also popular for its annual “Esala Perahera” festival, in
which the casket covering the tooth relic of Buddha is taken on a
tasker in a grand procession through the streets of the city.
HIV/AIDS Situation in
Kandy District:-
Latest
Government reports indicates that there is a considerable danger to
the spreading of HIV/AIDS among the Tea Estate workers. And those in
the Kandy District are more vulnarable than those in other
districts. Generally, knowledge about HIV/AIDS is very low amongst
the estate communities. Many of them migrate within Sri Lanka and
to neighbouring countries-such as India in hopes of enhansing their
economic status. Incidently, India is rated one of the high risk
countries for HIV infection. And thousands of men and women, migrent
workers having been removed from traditional social structures, such
as family and kin, have engaged in unsafe sexual practices with
multiple sexual partners, casual and commercial sex etc. And due to
sexual abuse of women, women are made more vulnarable to HIV. Women
constitute 80% of the workers in the Free Trade Zone at Kandy.
Unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
prevail high among them.
Our Response.
Cricket is a much loved game amonst the youth of this country.
Therefore we organized a cricket
tournament inviting 300 youths from several areas in Kandy District
such as Gampola, Nawalapitiya, Maha Nuwara and Kothmale. This was
done with the objectives of gathering them together to create
awareness amongst them regarding HIV/AIDS.
A teaching session based
on HIV/AIDS was condcuted for Sunday School Teenages in the Kandy
district After which each of them took part in a HIV/AIDS Awarenss
Poster Exhibition in which they exhibited their own thoughts about
the decease. The Pastors fellowship in the Central Province
supported us by coordinating this programme with youth fellowships
of Christian Churches in the Kandy District. Mr. Thilak Ariyawansha
was the key person. The following events had took place .
• Opening
Prayers and worship
• Lighting the
Traditional Oil Lamp
• HIV/AIDS
Awareness Speech
• Taking oaths
to “Stop AIDS - Keep the promise”
• Cricket
Match . During this session live comentries was given
with
HIV/AIDS Awareness interviwes through the "Kothmale
Broadcasting Services"
• HIV/AIDS
Awarenss Brochures were Distributed.
· HIV/AIDS Awareness Poster Exhibtion for the Sunday School Teenages.
• HIV/AIDS
Awareness Speech given during the Exhibition.
• Group
Discussions held for the participants on “How to respond HIV/AIDS
Epidemic”
 The
feedback and responses we received were very encouraging. Many
voiced their eagerness to get actively involved more involved in
eradicating HIV/AIDS in their region. The teachings on holistic
approach in view of People Living with HIV [PLWHIV] was an eye
opener to the Christian youth leaders who took it upon themselves
thereon to show their love and kindness to those PLWHIV.
Through this programme we
were also able to find a few volunteers who were willing to conduct
and implement our future HIV/AIDS Awareness activities within the
folowing communities.
· Tea
Estsate Workers.
· Prisoners.
· Free
Trade Zone Workers.
· General Community. |
Anuradhapura, situated in North Central Province of Sri
Lanka, is an ancient city. It has been a good tourist attraction. It is also the
midway-transit point for security personnel who fight the on going civil war.
These have cumulated to make the Anuradhapura vulnerable to the HIV/AIDS
epidemic. There are reported cases of sexual abuse and exploitation. Some
children of those families whose mothers have migrated to Middle East for
employment are vulnerable to incest in their families. Early school dropouts –
among whom many are females, end up as workers in garments factories, where they
are vulnerable to many forms of exploitation including sexual harassment. Girls
who have been sexually exploited often continue the rest of their lives as sex
workers. Some of them even serve as sex workers for the army personal who are in
transits from the war front. Sexual harassment in public transport is quite
common.