HIV/AIDS

Unite for children, Unite against AIDS – Harnessing the power of youth!

© UNICEF/2006

Ayesha Takia, exhibiting a keen focus on spreading the message

By Ajay Reddy

 Context:
 “Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS” is a UNICEF worldwide campaign to bring children into the centre of the HIV/AIDS debate.  As part of the campaign, events are being held all over the world to highlight the issue of  “Children as the missing face of HIV/AIDS” and what can be done for them.

 At a recent forum in Chennai, ‘ellements,’ a social-welfare organization teamed up with UNICEF and UNAIDS to spearhead the campaign against AIDS. The campaign roped in several celebrities movie stars like Ayesha Takia, Shamita Shetty, Ganesh Hegde, Rann Vijay and Vikram to endorse the message.

Voice of Stars
Actress Ayesha Takia, an up-coming Bollywood star said, “With freedom comes responsibility and the youth today have multiple partners.  I would urge all of them to play it safe and keep a long lasting happy relationship, that is closed and monogamous”. Her message delved into the teen temperament. 

Starlet Shamita Shetty made a passionate plea to the audience to have compassion for infected people and not to discriminate against affected individuals. She urged that the schools who have turned away innocent infected children should be taken to task. “It is indeed an honour to participate in such a noble cause and I shall be there whenever ‘ellements’ wants me” she said.

Vikram, the lone South-Indian star supporter said, “Women and children are amongst the most vulnerable and they must be provided adequate education, counseling and mentoring about the infection.” Prevention should be the key instead of care, he added.

Keeping the campaign lively, MTV’s Rann Vijay lauded UN efforts in partnering with groups like ‘ellements’ to reach out to young people. “Playing it safe is the key. Parents must be more responsible and guide kids to think about safety in every aspect of life, including sex”.

Singing a song dedicated to HIV/AIDS victims, Ganesh Hegde, the pop icon said, “It is always about keeping the heart and soul happy. So stay happy, stay safe and spread the cheer and reach out to affected children and youth who need the guidance, the support and peer education”.

© UNICEF/2006

Lighting the light of awareness

Peer Advocates

Understanding the mindset of today’s youth and the importance of involving them in AIDS-prevention programs, the campaign also organized a half-day training workshop that helped 30 students to turn advocators of the cause.

Towards evening, the campaign touched issues like sexually transmitted infections (STI), sexually transmitted diseases (STD). 

Youth programs such as this have immense potential in bringing together youth under one-roof and stimulating a dialogue on health education, abstinence, being faithful, anti-discrimination and safe sex. 

  According to Ms. Supriya Sahu, Director, Tamil Nadu State Aids Control Society, “the state government can only do so much to spread awareness, the rest is up to individuals to take the message forward and help prevent the spread”. 

At the end of the campaign, Arjun Mehta, one of the ‘ellements’ volunteers who attended the peer educator workshop, said, “What we have learnt from this workshop, beside technical information, is that we should encourage difference in opinion and cultural sensitivity and that it is very important to be clear about your own sexual values before talking to others about it.”