HIV & AIDS Awareness Seminar for the School Children in Walimada Maha Vidyalaya

18 June 2009

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A group of 300 students between the ages of 11 – 19 from Welimada Maha Vidyalaya attended a HIV & AIDS awareness programme conducted by ADT at the school premises on 18th June 2009. The principal of this school made a special request to ADT to conduct this programme because some school children were addicted to drugs & alcohol without realizing the serious effects it could cause to their lives.

ADT’s Project Positive coordinator conducted the programme with a translator as these children were more fluent in Tamil. The topics were well received by the children who also interacted with the coordinator throughout the 2 hour seminar.
A role play was also acted in order to create more awareness amongst the children.
Thereafter, all students were divided in to 4 groups and each group was given a situation where they were required to analyze the situation and describe it to the others. Later each group representative presented their group’s issue with the others.
Next on the agenda was the discussion of sexually transmitted diseases; how people contact it and how it spreads. The after effects of the disease were also highlighted. At this point the coordinator also addressed the grave effects of drinking, smoking and drug addiction with the students.

Although throughout the seminar the children asked many questions, after the seminar a few students clarified specific doubts from the programme coordinator, as they did not want to raise them in public. Project Positive brochures were also given to the students for more information about HIV & AIDS.

Success Stories:-


A teacher who also attended the seminar had this to say. “There are some children (mostly advanced level students) who take drugs which were sold at a nearby shop. Even the Police in our area have advised these children on the disadvantages of drug addiction. I’m sure now, after this seminar the students would have understood the gravity & the dreadful after affects of this addiction and how it could ruin their future”.

A senior student stated that this awareness programme was very useful for her and her fellow mates. Some of the doubts & queries they could not ask from their parents or teachers. At the seminar it was all discussed and clarified by ADT.