The Positive Calendar 2008

The social stigma and discrimination attached to HIV/AIDS has made it extremely difficult for Shanker Foundation to come out in the open. In this regard, Shanker Foundation has decided to take out a Calendar for the year 2008 in order to raise awareness on HIV & AIDS as well as raise funds for the network. In this calendar, which depicts the day to day activities of the network members, 5 of the active members have decided to come out in the open as a means of giving a face to HIV AIDS in the Darjeeling Hills to reduce stigma.

We would like to request you and your organization to kindly support this initiative by sponsoring one of the pages of the Calendar for 2008. The name and logo of your organization will be featured prominently on the page that you sponsor. We are printing 2000 copies of the Calendar which will be distributed in the Darjeeling Hills and will also be sent all across India and the world.

For further details and information please contact

Namrata Edwards @ 9851150132 and Samir Sharma @ 9434209887

Here's looking forward to a positive response.

Shanker Foundation Darjeeling 18 October 2007

Shanker Foundation Darjeeling has started awareness and advocation rights of People Living with HIV AIDS (PLWHA) in schools and colleges and different communities (samsjs) of Darjeeling. As part of the initial batch of schools, Shanker Foundation covered St.Teresa's and Loreto Convent. Shanker Foundation held an awareness programme in St Teresa's Girls High School for students of classes IX, X, XI and XII. This programme was to give vital info on HIV and AIDS and introduce the youth to Shanker Foundation as a district network of people living with HIV and AIDS.

Namrata Edwards, volunteer, gave an introduction on the foundation.The programme consisted of basic education on HIV and AIDS. The medical and clinical information was provided by Dr. Sabina Rongong, who has been helping the Foundation since its inception. This was followed by a session on drug addiction in relation to HIV and AIDS by Rajan Dewan from KRIPA Project. A session on HIV,AIDS,Law and Human Rights was conducted by Tashi.C.Sherpa, covering the role of law and human rights, vis-a vis, HIV and AIDS. The most important aspect of the programme was the experience sharing by Shankar Mani, Lawrence and Hari, members of Shanker Foundation. Sharing experiences is an important part of the programme as it helps in giving HIV/AIDS, a human face. The programme ended with a an open house and questions. Shanker Foundation had an awareness programme in Loreto Convent School. The programme was well recieved and attended by all the students.

There are plans to cover at least ten schools in the Darjeeling Hills before the end of this year. Shanker Foundation has been conducting awareness programmes in various Samaj Ghar also and we hope that these pragrammes will go a long way in providing community support, prevention and reduction in the stigma and discrimination against HIV & AIDS.

Activities undertaken till date by Shanker Foundation Darjeeling

The DjNP+ got formally registered under the West Bengal Societies Act in 2006 making it a legal entity. The DjNP+ is part of the Bengal Network of Positive People thus a part of the Indian Network of Positive People too.
DjNP+ has been strengthening its member base in the Darjeeling base and has opened offices in Darjeeling and Kalimpong subdivisions with the support of CHAI Project and DACC. These offices are drop in centres for counseling and care and support of Positive people and their friends and families. Work is underway to strengthen the network in other parts of Darjeeling Hills especially Kurseong,Kalimpong and Mirik.

On a day to day basis the DjNP+ provides care and support to positive people within the network through counseling, family visits and trainings. The counseling and training is focused on enhancing life skills of positive people and their families.

For members who are economically backward DjNP+ and Friends provide nutritional support. DjNP+ and Friends is a group of people who support the DjNP+.

Every Saturday a care and support meeting is held for positive people. Once a month care and support meeting is held for families living with HIV/AIDS

A close relationship with the VCCTC and also with the credibility that has been established, DjNP+ has been extending care and support to positive people who are not part of the network but get admitted to the government hospital in Darjeeling. This care and support is done voluntarily and when needed the patients are taken to North Bengal Medical College, Siliguri for referrals. Post referrals are taken to Jesu Ashram, Siliguri; Glenn Owen Foundation Centre, Kalimpong. Case by case basis the DjNP+ and Friends raise funds locally for the care and support.

The DjNP+ has been conducting awareness programmes on HIV/AIDS and rights of People and Families living with HIV/AIDS at community levels in the Darjeeling Hills. The awareness is conducted with the objectives of prevention and stigma removal. These programmes are conducted in partnership with DjNP+ and Friends and Anugyalaya DDSSS.

DjNP+ has also conducted focused sensitization with Elected Representatives, Bureaucrats and Media Representatives with the objective of developing a Positive People friendly environment and policies.

On 27th July 2007 five of our members came out in front of the media including names and photographs to give a face to the Network, give hope to the positive people of Darjeeling as well as reduce stigma and discrimination.

The issues and concerns of Shanker Foundation DjNP +

1. Societal stigma and discrimination
2. Lack of Resources – Personnel and Financial
• All positive people admitted to Darjeeling Government Hospital and from VCCTC are referred to Shanker Foundation, thus making Shanker Foundation responsible for care and support without any financial support
3. Insufficient supportive medical environment:
Personnel:
• Insufficient trained and sensitive Doctors, Nurses and other hospital staff
• Lack of trained Extension Health Workers – both rural and urban
• Insufficient trained and sensitive staff at the Voluntary Confidential Counseling and Testing Centre (VCCTC) and Prevention of Parent to Child Transfer Centre (PPCTC)
Infrastructure:
• Insufficient VCCTC and PPCTC with all necessary facilities to cover at-least all subdivisions headquarters
• No Outdoor facilities
• Insufficient supportive and sensitive space in Government Hospitals
• Ambulance facilities
4. Only one Voluntary Counseling and Testing Centre in Darjeeling Sadar Hospital making it extremely difficult for rural communities and people from the other subdivisions to access it
5. Lack of proper Prevention of Parent to Child Transfer Centre
6. Access to CD 4 count Test which can be only be done in the nearest Teaching Hospital, which for us is the North Bengal Medical College, Siliguri. This is free for the BPL but the journey back and forth is very challenging for people of the hills
7. Access to anti retro viral therapy is also given by the North Bengal Medical College, Siliguri which is a life long treatment making it difficult for members to access it.
8. Access to anti retroviral therapy for children
9. Access to Opportunistic infections treatment
10. Nutrition support to members of the Network
11. Access to decision and proactive participation making process with respect to HIV/AIDS in the Darjeeling Hills.
12. Access to decision and proactive participation making process with respect to HIV/AIDS in the Darjeeling Hills.
13. Active participation of local government and community

HIV/AIDS and the Darjeeling Hills

The Darjeeling Hills are a highly vulnerable area with regards to HIV/AIDS. The backwardness of the region leading to high migration, intra-venous drug users, floating sex worker population, awareness focused in urban areas only are cross cutting factors resulting in the vulnerability.

In 1996, under the impetus of the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), Darjeeling, the Darjeeling AIDS Control Centre (DACC) was established with a few NGOs and Societies working under it. The region’s only Voluntary Confidential Counseling and Testing Centre (VCCTC) started functioning from April 2002. To date, 2480 persons have undergone testing, of which 116 were found to be HIV positive (31st May 2007 VCCTC report)and 60 of them are the members of Shanker Foundation DjNP+. However, experts are skeptical about the accuracy of present data to extrapolate for the entire hills, stating that the actual figure is far more startling.

They point to several compelling factors to support their opinion:

• Very few people opt for testing due to lack of awareness and fear of a social scrutiny. Moreover, although blood donations are screened, donors are not notified of their HIV status.
• Awareness programmes only cater to the urban populace and lack a strong connection to the rural populace of Darjeeling.
• The VCCTC is located in the urban areas with limited access and to the rural population
• The poor economy of the region and massive unemployment has given rise to a large migrant labourer population and sex workers.
• High risk groups such as intra-venous drug users drivers, migrant porters, flying sex workers and labourers, leaving and coming into Darjeeling, have limited access to HIV/AIDS awareness programs.
We also have a large male population in the defense who are away from home for long periods of time
• Most institutions do not impart sex education to pupils, let alone HIV/AIDS awareness