Perspective: Taking Advocacy to the Grassroots

Standing outside Nehru Memorial hall, a couple of hours before the much-awaited Youth AIDS day rock show, I absentmindedly watched Ryan talk with other international volunteers as a hundred thoughts crowded my mind. Mentally ticking off a last-minute checklist for the show; going over the afternoon’s conversation with the counselor at Bhojwani school about attitude of teachers towards HIV education; planning out the Phase 2 for YAHAAN and so much more went on in my mind all at the same time.

“…when a housewife in Pune would march on the streets asking for introduction of 2nd line Anti – Retroviral Treatment for AIDS patients…” I overheard Hans telling a group of young volunteers from ILS College who were sitting on the steps not too far away.

I pulled a mental ‘break’ and all other thoughts jarred into a happy collision as this one thought stood defiantly, demanding absolute undivided attention.

What will bring a housewife onto the streets for something related to AIDS – the seemingly tabooed disease?

What will make office-going men and women of corporate India sacrifice their Sundays to protest against discrimination faced by PLHIV at workplace?

What will it take for students to fight for an HIV + child’s right to education?

What will it take to Wake Up Pune to the reality of HIV and AIDS?
What will it take for Pune to Join the Fight against HIV?

It will definitely take much more than just HIV awareness sessions.

Pune may have ‘heard’ about HIV and AIDS. But now, Pune needs to ‘see’ HIV and AIDS.

People need to experience HIV and its ramifications more closely for them to care enough to make a difference.

Pune needs to talk to men and women who have been disowned by their families and thrown out of their homes, to comprehend the agony and pain of being stigmatized;

It needs to hear from those who have lost their jobs, to understand the devastating effects of ignorance and discrimination at workplace;

It needs to see HIV+ people, to learn about ‘positive living’;

Pune needs to meet AIDS patients, to understand the urgency of introducing 2nd line ARV drugs.

Every single person in Pune needs to ‘feel’ HIV and AIDS and only then will Pune truly wake up and join the fight!!!


LET’S WAKE UP, PUNE!
LET’S JOIN THE FIGHT!