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Friday, March 28, 2008
Shanker Foundation Update_April 2008_HIV AIDS
It has been a long time and I recall the song, sister golden hair, 'i might have been a bad correspondent but doesn't mean you ain't been on my mind…' Too much has been going on and have just got been caught up in the daily struggle of trying to fulfill the promise we took in World AIDS Day 2007.
"TAKE THE LEAD This year the theme of "TAKE THE LEAD" builds on last year's theme of accountability to stop AIDS by keeping the promise. All of us are called to be leaders of our family, friends, colleagues and community. Take the lead and talk about HIV/AIDS with your family, friends, colleagues and community. Open your welcoming arms of love to people and families living with HIV/AIDS. Be a partner in providing care and support to PLWHA. Advocate proactively for the rights of PLWHA."
Since my last update in December 2007, 20 members of the Shanker Foundation Darjeeling Network of Positive People have died. Most have been husbands who have left behind a family. Some of the wives have tested positive and they are scared to test their children. Most of them are from rural and tea garden areas. In their deaths we have come to realize or should I say we have confirmed what we already knew, that HIV has spread to all parts of Darjeeling, yet our awareness programmes do not reach these areas. These deaths have also confirmed that stigma and discrimination still are prevalent in our Hills, even with the medical faculty. The last six patients died in DDMA as government facilities claim that they are unable to treat positive people. People do not die of HIV but they die of discrimination, discrimination that pushes them from medical facilities. Opportunistic Infections which finally kill positive people can be treated at any sub-divisional hospital, but the constant excuse is that they do not have the facility to deal with such patients. It's the willingness that is not there rather than the lack of information, skill or facility that stop these government doctors from helping positive people. One gets tired of hearing the line, 'We are not equipped to handle positive cases here…' from doctors. What happened to the PUBLIC SERVANT? And the oath of service they are supposed to take on graduation? The nurses in Eden Hospital are very helpful and it looks like the various meetings and discussions have definitely helped.
Dr. Plaban Das from DDMA has proven a shining star in this bleak update. Dr. Plaban worked in Nagaland previously and has a great understanding of the issue. He treats all the members for free and also gives a discount in the hospital. He has taken one of the members under his wing and is helping her upgrade her medical skills so that she can become a paramedic for the foundation. By the way, Dr. Plaban is getting top notch international plastic surgeons to DDMA for a conference. In the conference 4 patients, selected on a needs basis, are getting a free surgery many others at cost price. JAI Dr. Plaban.
During the two weeks strike that was rocking Darjeeling, we realized how difficult political situations make marginal communities further marginalized. Siliguri became very difficult to reach and that's where Anti Retro-viral Therapy, CD4 count test, Opportunistic Infections treatement are available. Then it was the reaching out to patients in far flung areas without communication facilities. It was harrowing and testing times for the members with some being stranded in Siliguri and others needing to get to Siliguri. We also made a lot of friends in those days and help came from unexpected quarters. Dr. Plaban arranged for ambulances to pick up members from Siliguri, sad the driver got slapped on the way down by one of the macho picketing guys. I hope in Gorkhaland, positive people's rights and dignity will be respected.
During the strike we lost 5 patients consecutively in 5 days. Network ma pani panchak lagdo rahecha. Discrimination raised its ugly head when the family of one of the patients refused to receive the dead body. Negotiations with the Samaj finally resolved the issue of last rites. Even in death one is discriminated against. Darjeeling Hills' culture is a culture of unconditional social support in times of death, birth, marriages and sickness. This is what sets us apart from other cultures that have evolved from Nepali roots, yet the need for further evolution is evident with this experience. To date only one Samaj has come forward in support of a positive patient in the hospital. In all the other cases the patient is just dumped on the Network. The Network has been providing care and support to all the patients but the Network also has limited resources both in terms of people and finances. I have never come across a group of people who provide such unconditional service with hardly any resources. One must also remember that they themselves are immuno-compromised.
Worldwide it has been found that public declarations by positive people are an inspiration for other positive people, advance the promotion of rights of positive people and enable the prevention process. This understanding in reality is true but what it doesn't talk about is the extreme sacrifice these people have to face to go public. The 5 people who came out in public with their status have faced discrimination in some way or the other. 3 of them are no longer living with their families and have moved to a different town while continuing their service to society. Hari and Shanker Da are the only ones still living with their families. But they also face discrimination in subtle ways constantly. They are constantly in the public eye which is extremely judgmental and unforgiving. The need to give a face to HIV in the Darjeeling Hills and advocate for their rights prompted the 5 to take this courageous stand to go public. Their strength is also a positive example of living and loving for other invisible positive people. One tends to feel that it is ignorance that pushes people to such behaviour and this is true to some extent, but these past few months we have met people who are hiding their positive family member even when they are highly informed about HIV.
Calendars are still being sold even though it is the 3rd month of 2008. Help promised has not been delivered and we have had a few cases where people have mentioned that this is a bad cause and these people need to be shot. Easy way out huh, we be martial race and Aayo Gorkhali is the solution. Sometimes I feel we are a race of mercenaries, ready to kill and die for others. But overall the calendars have been doing great. Mrs. Mehatab has sold 110 till date; Products Himalaya 100 and so on and so forth… impossible to mention all but our people are definitely charitable. One must not forget all the people who sponsored the pages too. The members are now going to educational institutions selling calendars as well as fixing appointments for awareness programmes in these institutions. WE WILL HAVE CALENDARS BY OCTOBER THIS 2008 for 2009
THIS 2008 for 2009
Awareness programmes have been going on full swing with other NGOs. Strategically the most important one is the training that the Network has been providing to Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS is a government programme) health workers at the block levels. This will definitely go a long way in pushing public awareness forward to rural areas. By product, the ICDS has sold 100 calendars. We even had one awareness programme with the Bar in Darjeeling. This was a great experience and the Bar has offered free legal services to the members. THANK YOU BAR ASSOCIATION and ICDS. Tashi has been the technical expert in the awareness programme especially when the presentation is on rights. With her legal background from a human rights perspective and having worked at a national level she has become a permanent feature of the awareness programmes.
The sale of calendars is a great support for the treatment of the patients. The calanders have finally reaches Delhi. SORRY for the DELAY
There is need to expand the awareness programmes so please pass on the message or facilitate the organisation of awareness programmes in your work place and locality and we will be there.
The awareness programmes not only spread the information on HIV but expand the FRIENDS OF SHANKER and also increase confidence and esteem of the members. In these awareness programmes more and more members are coming out in the open with their personal life sharings. Typically the awareness programme is divided into: 1. HIV/AIDS and STI – technical input 2. Shanker Foundation – history, need and activities 3. Stigma and Discrimination and Rights of PLWHA 4. Personal Sharing by PLWHA 5. Plan of Action
We need to take the programmes to Kurseong, Mirik and Kalimpong and your help is required to spread the message TAKE THE LEAD peace
roshan
"TAKE THE LEAD This year the theme of "TAKE THE LEAD" builds on last year's theme of accountability to stop AIDS by keeping the promise. All of us are called to be leaders of our family, friends, colleagues and community. Take the lead and talk about HIV/AIDS with your family, friends, colleagues and community. Open your welcoming arms of love to people and families living with HIV/AIDS. Be a partner in providing care and support to PLWHA. Advocate proactively for the rights of PLWHA."
Since my last update in December 2007, 20 members of the Shanker Foundation Darjeeling Network of Positive People have died. Most have been husbands who have left behind a family. Some of the wives have tested positive and they are scared to test their children. Most of them are from rural and tea garden areas. In their deaths we have come to realize or should I say we have confirmed what we already knew, that HIV has spread to all parts of Darjeeling, yet our awareness programmes do not reach these areas. These deaths have also confirmed that stigma and discrimination still are prevalent in our Hills, even with the medical faculty. The last six patients died in DDMA as government facilities claim that they are unable to treat positive people. People do not die of HIV but they die of discrimination, discrimination that pushes them from medical facilities. Opportunistic Infections which finally kill positive people can be treated at any sub-divisional hospital, but the constant excuse is that they do not have the facility to deal with such patients. It's the willingness that is not there rather than the lack of information, skill or facility that stop these government doctors from helping positive people. One gets tired of hearing the line, 'We are not equipped to handle positive cases here…' from doctors. What happened to the PUBLIC SERVANT? And the oath of service they are supposed to take on graduation? The nurses in Eden Hospital are very helpful and it looks like the various meetings and discussions have definitely helped.
Dr. Plaban Das from DDMA has proven a shining star in this bleak update. Dr. Plaban worked in Nagaland previously and has a great understanding of the issue. He treats all the members for free and also gives a discount in the hospital. He has taken one of the members under his wing and is helping her upgrade her medical skills so that she can become a paramedic for the foundation. By the way, Dr. Plaban is getting top notch international plastic surgeons to DDMA for a conference. In the conference 4 patients, selected on a needs basis, are getting a free surgery many others at cost price. JAI Dr. Plaban.
During the two weeks strike that was rocking Darjeeling, we realized how difficult political situations make marginal communities further marginalized. Siliguri became very difficult to reach and that's where Anti Retro-viral Therapy, CD4 count test, Opportunistic Infections treatement are available. Then it was the reaching out to patients in far flung areas without communication facilities. It was harrowing and testing times for the members with some being stranded in Siliguri and others needing to get to Siliguri. We also made a lot of friends in those days and help came from unexpected quarters. Dr. Plaban arranged for ambulances to pick up members from Siliguri, sad the driver got slapped on the way down by one of the macho picketing guys. I hope in Gorkhaland, positive people's rights and dignity will be respected.
During the strike we lost 5 patients consecutively in 5 days. Network ma pani panchak lagdo rahecha. Discrimination raised its ugly head when the family of one of the patients refused to receive the dead body. Negotiations with the Samaj finally resolved the issue of last rites. Even in death one is discriminated against. Darjeeling Hills' culture is a culture of unconditional social support in times of death, birth, marriages and sickness. This is what sets us apart from other cultures that have evolved from Nepali roots, yet the need for further evolution is evident with this experience. To date only one Samaj has come forward in support of a positive patient in the hospital. In all the other cases the patient is just dumped on the Network. The Network has been providing care and support to all the patients but the Network also has limited resources both in terms of people and finances. I have never come across a group of people who provide such unconditional service with hardly any resources. One must also remember that they themselves are immuno-compromised.
Worldwide it has been found that public declarations by positive people are an inspiration for other positive people, advance the promotion of rights of positive people and enable the prevention process. This understanding in reality is true but what it doesn't talk about is the extreme sacrifice these people have to face to go public. The 5 people who came out in public with their status have faced discrimination in some way or the other. 3 of them are no longer living with their families and have moved to a different town while continuing their service to society. Hari and Shanker Da are the only ones still living with their families. But they also face discrimination in subtle ways constantly. They are constantly in the public eye which is extremely judgmental and unforgiving. The need to give a face to HIV in the Darjeeling Hills and advocate for their rights prompted the 5 to take this courageous stand to go public. Their strength is also a positive example of living and loving for other invisible positive people. One tends to feel that it is ignorance that pushes people to such behaviour and this is true to some extent, but these past few months we have met people who are hiding their positive family member even when they are highly informed about HIV.
Calendars are still being sold even though it is the 3rd month of 2008. Help promised has not been delivered and we have had a few cases where people have mentioned that this is a bad cause and these people need to be shot. Easy way out huh, we be martial race and Aayo Gorkhali is the solution. Sometimes I feel we are a race of mercenaries, ready to kill and die for others. But overall the calendars have been doing great. Mrs. Mehatab has sold 110 till date; Products Himalaya 100 and so on and so forth… impossible to mention all but our people are definitely charitable. One must not forget all the people who sponsored the pages too. The members are now going to educational institutions selling calendars as well as fixing appointments for awareness programmes in these institutions. WE WILL HAVE CALENDARS BY OCTOBER THIS 2008 for 2009
THIS 2008 for 2009
Awareness programmes have been going on full swing with other NGOs. Strategically the most important one is the training that the Network has been providing to Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS is a government programme) health workers at the block levels. This will definitely go a long way in pushing public awareness forward to rural areas. By product, the ICDS has sold 100 calendars. We even had one awareness programme with the Bar in Darjeeling. This was a great experience and the Bar has offered free legal services to the members. THANK YOU BAR ASSOCIATION and ICDS. Tashi has been the technical expert in the awareness programme especially when the presentation is on rights. With her legal background from a human rights perspective and having worked at a national level she has become a permanent feature of the awareness programmes.
The sale of calendars is a great support for the treatment of the patients. The calanders have finally reaches Delhi. SORRY for the DELAY
There is need to expand the awareness programmes so please pass on the message or facilitate the organisation of awareness programmes in your work place and locality and we will be there.
The awareness programmes not only spread the information on HIV but expand the FRIENDS OF SHANKER and also increase confidence and esteem of the members. In these awareness programmes more and more members are coming out in the open with their personal life sharings. Typically the awareness programme is divided into: 1. HIV/AIDS and STI – technical input 2. Shanker Foundation – history, need and activities 3. Stigma and Discrimination and Rights of PLWHA 4. Personal Sharing by PLWHA 5. Plan of Action
We need to take the programmes to Kurseong, Mirik and Kalimpong and your help is required to spread the message TAKE THE LEAD peace
roshan
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Global AIDS Week of Action 18-24 May, 2008
Global AIDS Week of Action 18-24 May, 2008
One week. One voice
Is the world doing enough to stop AIDS? Take action in your country and show solidarity globally. Join a groundswell of civil society voices from across the world during the week of 18-24 May to demand urgency, accountability and more resources in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
WHY: The severe impact of the AIDS pandemic on families, communities and economies is commonly acknowledged by scientists, the media and politicians the world over. However, more than 25 years later the losses remain stark: AIDS continues to kill almost 6000 people each day and more than 2 out of 3 HIV positive people still lack access to treatment. While women make up an increasing proportion of those living with HIV and bear a greater burden of care, current AIDS responses do not tackle the violation of women's rights – a key driver of the pandemic.
For the past two years during the Global AIDS Week of Action, activists have organised actions in over 30 countries to hold world leaders accountable on their landmark commitment to fight AIDS made at the United National General Assembly Special Session on AIDS (UNGASS) in 2001.
In 2005 world leaders made another historic promise on universal access, committing to: "developing and implementing a package for HIV prevention, treatment and care with the aim of coming as close as possible to the goal of universal access to treatment by 2010."The world needs to honour this ambitious promise to stop the needless deaths of women, men and children. Our governments must meet their national targets for universal access to treatment prevention, care and support. Multinational drug companies must stop putting profits before people. Rich nations, including the G8, must back their warm words on AIDS with real funds.The Global AIDS Week of Action is the defining mobilisation moment before world leaders report back to the UN on the progress they have made to meet their commitments on HIV and AIDS. So as our governments boast about their efforts at the UN meeting in New York, in cities from Abuja to Phnom Penh and Delhi to Lilongwe, citizens will call on them to deliver on their promises.WHEN: The Global AIDS Week of Action from 18-24 May 2008 is an opportunity for activists around the world to stand together, generate political pressure and demand action from our leaders. The week starts with the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial Day on 18 May – a Sunday when the world recognizes and remembers those who have died of AIDS. The week of action is just two weeks before a high level meeting at the UN discusses the progress made by each of our governments in the fight against AIDS. In early July the club of rich nations (G8) meet in Japan – let them know that the world is watching to see if they put money where their mouth is and agree a funding plan for the universal access goal.
HOW: Between now and the end of May, it's time to take action. You bring together fellow activists in your country to plan what action to take and what demands to make of your government. You then share your plans with friends and activists in other countries through the Global AIDS Week website, www.globalaidsweek.org.
Communication of your ideas and plans is the glue that will bind all our actions together and send a strong message to world leaders.Are you ready to join the Global AIDS Week of Action: Take the initiative by sending an email with the plans agreed by activists in your country to info@globalaidsweek.org and we will add you to the list of active countries and send you updates. Then log on to the website to see your actions listed!
There is no global secretariat or chief organiser – the groups listed below are joining forces to make this call, and the rest is up to you. The success of the Global AIDS Week of Action depends entirely on committed people and networks working together in a coalition in their own countries. During this one week we must show solidarity internationally by campaigning nationally.
To see what people did in 2007, go to: www.globalaidsweek.org
JOINT CALL TO ACTION by:ActionAid InternationalAfrican Civil Society Coalition on AIDSAIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA)Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (APN+)The Coalition of Asia Pacific Regional Network on HIV/AIDS (the Seven Sisters)Global Network of People living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+)Health & Development Network (HDN)International HIV and AIDS AllianceInternational Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC)MWENGO (Mwelekeo Wa Ngo)Pan-African Treatment Access Movement (PATAM)Treatment Action Campaign (TAC)World AIDS Campaign
●ACCESS TO TREATMENT●END HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS●FUNDING FOR AIDS●END DONOR CONDITIONALITY●EVIDENCE-BASED PREVENTION ●END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN●INVEST IN HEALTH WORKERS●END STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION●HEALTH SYSTEMS FOR ALL!
One week to make leaders keep their promises. Let's make a big noise.
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