Cricket Tournament and HIV/AIDS Awareness Poster Exhibition

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. Surrounded 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 the back of a tusker 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.Especially those in the Kandy District are more vulnerable 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 enhancing their economic status. Incidentally, India is rated one of the high risk countries for HIV infection. And thousands of men and women, migrant 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, they are made more vulnerable to HIV.  Women constitute 80% of the workers in the Free Trade Zone in Kandy. Unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) prevail high among them.

Our Response.
Cricket is a much loved game amongst 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 conducted for Sunday school teenagers in the Kandy district after which each of them took part in a HIV/AIDS Awareness 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 organizer. 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 commentaries were given with             
               HIV/AIDS awareness interviews through the "Kothmale Broadcasting Services" 

•             HIV/AIDS awareness brochures were distributed.

·             HIV/AIDS awareness poster exhibition for the Sunday school teenagers.

•             HIV/AIDS awareness speech given during the exhibition.

•             Group Discussions were held for the participants on “How to respond to HIV/AIDS
               epidemic”

The feedback and responses we received were very encouraging. Many voiced their eagerness to get more actively involved in eradicating HIV/AIDS in their region. The teachings were based on a 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 following communities.

·         Tea estate workers.

·         Prisoners.

·         Free Trade Zone workers.

·         General community.