HIV & AIDS Seminar in Boosa Prison

13 May 2009

This time around the “Project Positive” team paid a visit to the Boossa prison on the 13th of May 2009. The intention for organizing this seminar was to pass on the much needed knowledge on HIV & AIDS to the prison inmates.

90% of the inmates at the Boossa prison are heroin dealers and drug addicts who are categorized as marginalized people. Left to fend for themselves, they do not posses a proper education to face the battles that are raging within today’s society. However, with proper education on good morals these inmates can be nurtured to be valuable assets to our nation.

The day’s proceedings started with the lighting of the oil lamp and a welcome speech given by the Inspector of Police. Bro Raja Wijekoon, the president of the Sri Lanka Prisoners Welfare Committee gave an introductory speech as the guest speaker (a staff member of ADT) took on the rest of the days proceedings. The topics covered were, the basics on testing HIV & AIDS, the care which should be given to HIV patients, and the danger and the after effects of the infection were also addressed.

All the sessions were simple & interactive. The inmates were very eager to learn and they also had the opportunity to clear their doubts and concerns by asking questions. The participation of 20 police constables attached to the Boossa prison was the highlight of the day.

Soon after the main session, Brother Raja advised the inmates about the need to get protected from HIV & AIDS and how to be a good citizen in this vindictive world. We noted that most of the inmates were parents having children. Therefore, this seminar was not merely an HIV AIDS awareness seminar; our motive was also to create good citizens, and responsible parents to our motherland.  175 inmates participated in this seminar.

Brochures containing valuable information were distributed amongst the inmates. “Thank you so much for organizing a valuable programme for people like us. We had lost all hope. We used to wonder how to carry on with our lives when we left the prison. But ADT came and changed all that by giving us hope, courage and education to go into the world and live. We have been marginalized for our own mistakes but I am very sure if we live according to what we were taught today we can be good citizens. We assure and promise that we will put to practice what we have learned” stated one of the inmates at the end of the seminar.

This seminar brought great satisfaction to the ADT team & they have been greatly encouraged to conduct more seminars and workshops for prison inmates, seeing their eagerness to learn & equip them selves to face this epidemic. The prisoners showed us that they too can be a part of this mission to save Sri Lanka from this deadly virus.