Of Renewed Urgency and Redoubling Our Effort

Dear Friends,

Its that time when we look forward to manifestos and how that's going to affect our lives. These thoughts becomes important for Shanker Foundation Darjeeling Network of Positive People as lives of positive people are extremely interlinked with policies at the centre. In the past year or so governmental funding to Shanker Foundation has dried up. This brings us the question, does Shanker Foundation need funds especially now that the Nodal ART Centre has opened up in the Darjeeling District Hospital(refer to previous update). This has been a long standing demand of SF DjNP+ and its fruition brings a sense of accomplishment as well as a the question of what next. This is where central policies and international actions affect the lives of people so far away from the corridors of power. The news story below 'How the India growth story has backfired on the HIV-positive' highlights national and international policy changes that has reduced support to positive people, this is true in the Darjeeling Hills. Seldom do we see the ART Centres well stocked with ART, this has meant that clients have to come every week for their ART rather than once a month. Thus even with the Nodal ART in Darjeeling a client from a far away Bijanbari has difficulty in accessing it especially when it is every week. Incidentally, there has been a rise in the number of clients in Bijanbari and its far flung villages. This rise in number was forseen, but sadly we are unprepared for it. The response should be focused awareness campaigns with care and support interventions but with reducing funding support this becomes extremely difficult. Likewise, there is an increase in clients in Kurseong Block too but outreach is limited. This information in rise in number in Bijanbari and Kurseong is partly due to the action of Shanker Foundation members who are working actively there. Since Postive Haat, the two members of SF at Bijanbari and Kurseong are being given a monthly honorarium of Rs. 2000 and Rs. 2500 respectively. Their honorarium is a minuscule drop compared to their interventions.   

There are a number of governmental benefits that are being provided to positive clients like the Antodaya Anna Yojna which provides additional subsidised supplementary food through the Pubic Distribution Service and a number of members and clients of SF DjNP+ are getting the food rations. But, a large number do not get it due to lack of information or societal pressure which forces them to hide their status rather than access the food. The department has become proactive in confidentiality issues for AAY yet in the initial days with the way the town is in terms of confidentiality, has meant that clients are more concerned of their status disclosure and let go of the food. 

Thus even with improved services, there is even more a need for the SFDjNP+ be around to provide care and support to positive people in the Hills. There is still need for SF DjNP+ provide a face for the movement to remove stigma and discrimination as well as fight for the rights of positive people. It is still important to continue our pledge at the Candlelight Memorial 18 May 2014, of Getting to Zero: Zero AIDS related Deaths, Zero new HIV infections and Zero Stigma and discrimination. The theme this year 'Let's keep the light on HIV' calls us to understand that there are policies and implementation process in place but it still needs improvement and also that these investments are being threatened. It calls on us to revitalise our solidarity and support to SFDjNP+ and enable resources to redirect their effort in protecting the rights of PLHA in the Darjeeling Hills. It also calls on us to relate policies to on the ground situations and influence them. It calls on us to recognise SFDjNP+ still needs funds. 

In the past two months we have redoubled our effort to focus our actions and make best use of the scarce resources. The May monthly meeting will focus on a year plan which is kind of how we are placed with resources post Positive Haat. There has been a sense of renewed urgency and redoubling our effort. 

We look forward to your continued support and solidarity.  

Yours sincerely

roshan

How the India growth story has backfired on the HIV-positive

https://in.news.yahoo.com/how-the-india-growth-story-has-backfired-on-the-hiv-positive-080653938.html

Inaugral of Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) Centre in Darjeeling

13th February, 2014 saw the inauguration of the Nodal ART Centre at the Darjeeling District Hospital by Smt. Asha Gurung, Sabhasad, Health, GTA in the presence of Joint Director, West Bengal State AIDS Prevention and Control Society, Shri Don Bosco Lepcha, Executive Director Health, GTA, Superintendent of District Hospital and many other dignitaries.

The Nodal ART has 7 staff including the Medical Director Dr. Norbu Sherpa. The physical infrastructure is in the ground floor of the District Hospital. The nodal centre will offer Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) to clients in the Darjeeling Hills and also offer counselling and opportunistic infection treatments, testing facilities and outreach programmes including adherence follow-ups.

In the inaugural programme, it was stated that this had been in the pipeline and had not gone forward due to the agitation in the Hills. It was also mentioned that the centre has been given such preference as such centres are opened only if there are 300 plus clients which Darjeeling Town does not have. The need for reach in the Hills was taken into consideration while opening this centre.

Shanker Foundation welcomed the opening of the Nodal ART Centre which has been one of the many demands over the years. It looks forward to the efficient functioning of the centre and hopes more Link ART Centres will be opened to reach the sub-divisions as well as other testing infrastructure like CD4 are developed in the region.   

World AIDS Day - Celebration Photographs from Darjeeling

World AIDS Day 2013 - Programme for Darjeeling Hills

Dear Friends,

World AIDS Day, observed on December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. It is common to hold memorials to honor persons who have died from HIV/AIDS on this day as well as undertake public awareness programmes. Shanker Foundation Darjeeling Network of Positive People in association with various partners has been observing the day publicly in Darjeeling since 2006.

This year the theme of ‘GETTING TO ZERO – Zero New HIV Infections, Zero Discrimination and Zero AIDS Related Deaths’ signifies a push towards greater access to treatment to all; a call for governments to act now. The global campaign highlights how our fundamental right to health is intrinsically linked to other basic rights of food, shelter, freedom, clean water and safety. Crucial too is access to affordable life saving quality medicines free from the crippling effects of excessive profit making. GETTING to ZERO is the theme till the 2015.

The global theme is especially pertinent to the Darjeeling Hills. People Living With HIV/AIDS are struggling to access healthcare and vital ART and testing is still not available to all those who need it without an arduous, expensive 8 hour round trip to the nearest centre.

 

The Events:

 

Darjeeling- Getting to Zero Concert - 1 December 2013
We are holding an open air music concert at Chowrasta, with 10 up-and-coming local bands, ensuring a broad based appeal. We will be releasing Shanker Foundation’s documentary on “Stigma and Discrimination” and screening it throughout the day, as part of a day-long awareness event. Our outreach workers will also have information stalls and will be interacting with people throughout the day, in order to spread the message “Getting to Zero” to the 2,000 students and 4,000 members of the public who are expected to attend. Music is the easiest way to reach the youth in any part of the world and Darjeeling is no less with music being very deeply imbibed in the local culture. We know from our past experience that it is an excellent way to connect with the youth in Darjeeling, who will be an essential part of leading the change.

 

 Positive Haat 
 

As a side-event to the main programmes, Friends of Shanker Foundation are holding a fundraising sale for three days 30^th November to 2^nd December. Due to the strikes in Darjeeling this year, our local fundraising was severely hampered. This event is an effort by Friends locally to raise funds from our own community as well, an important step in the fight towards reducing Stigma and Discrimination. The garage sale, titled “Positive Haat” will also help spread awareness on HIV/AIDS in Darjeeling, and also of the work of Shanker Foundation and the needs of its members.

We look forward your generous contribution to the Positive Haat as well as attending and buying from the Positive Haat. Please do pass on the word about the Positive Haat for donations as well as buying stuff.

 

 

Kurseong – Information Kiosk

 The Kurseong sub-divisional group will have an HIV/AIDS Information Kiosk which will be placed in a prominent public place and manned by members and volunteers offering information and counseling throughout the day. Various means of public awareness will also be adopted.

 

Bijanbari – Information Kiosk

 The Bijanbari group will have an HIV/AIDS Information Kiosk which will be placed in a prominent public place and manned by members and volunteers offering information and counseling throughout the day.

The POSITIVE HAAT for World AIDS Day

Candlelight Memorial coming up soon

Dear Friends,

The time is here again for us to come together for the candlelight memorial on 19th May and remember all our friends we have lost to HIV/AIDS and re-dedicate ourselves to the cause.

The theme of the 30th International AIDS Candlelight Memorial is In solidarity. The theme emphasizes the need of people living with and affected by HIV to join hands and work together in the response to HIV. Solidarity in communities is essential to reduce stigma and promote involvement of people living with HIV in order to ensure a more effective HIV response. Only together as communities we can advocate for universal access to quality health services and HIV treatment, to raise awareness around HIV and to promote respect for human rights of people living with HIV.

The International AIDS Candlelight Memorial, coordinated by the Global Network of People living with HIV is one of the world’s oldest and largest grassroots mobilization campaigns for HIV awareness in the world. Started in 1983, the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial takes place every third Sunday in May and is led by a coalition of some 1,200 community organizations in 115 countries.

The International AIDS Candlelight Memorial is much more than just a memorial. The International AIDS Candlelight Memorial serves as a community mobilization campaign to raise social consciousness about HIV and AIDS. With 33 million people living with HIV today, the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial serves as an important intervention for global solidarity, breaking down barriers of stigma and discrimination, and giving hope to new generations.

We will update you on the programme in Darjeeling and call on you to take the memorial in your own spaces too. 

For further details please check http://www.candlelightmemorial.org

Do let us know your initiatives and ideas to commemorate this year's memorial.

 

In Solidarity,

roshan

World AIDS Day 2012 - A Report

“Working  together  for  an  AIDS free  generation”

On the occasion of World AIDS Day on 1^st Dec 2012, Shanker Foundation DjNP+ organized an awareness programme at Chowrasta Darjeeling as an opportunity for people in the hills to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died.

Around 2000 people attended the event. Stalls were set up by various NGO’s with banners and posters about their respective organisations. The participating NGO’s were Kripa Foundation, Child In Need Institute (CINI), Miitjyu and Shanker Foundation DjNP+. IEC materials were displayed and distributed to the visitors of the stalls. A mobile ICTC van was placed in the premises by the District AIDS Prevention and Control Unit, Darjeeling for anyone who was willing to undergo the HIV tests. Red ribbons were distributed by volunteers of Shanker Foundation to people visiting Chowrasta to spread the awareness on HIV/AIDS.

The program began with a welcome address by Mr. Dhurba Chettri, District Program Manager, District AIDS Prevention and Control Unit, Darjeeling. The Chief guests for the event were Mrs. Asha Gurung, Sabhasad Health Department, Gorkha Territorial Administration, Mr Amar Rai, Chairman Darjeeling Municipality, Mrs Urmila Rumba, Sabhasad, Gorkha Territorial Administration, Dr. R. Ghosh DMO, District Hospital Darjeeling, Dr. S. Bhowmick CMO, District Hospital Darjeeling, Mr. S. Das Health Secretary, Mr. K. Agarwal Superintendent of Police, Darjeeling, Ms. Purnima Sherpa, Deputy Superintendent of Police and Mrs. Anuja Ghaley, President of Darjeeling NGO Network.

The guests were felicitated with khadas. The lamp lighting ceremony was conducted by Mrs. Asha Gurung followed by the release of the Shanker Foundation ‘Positive Calendar’ for the year 2013.

Mrs Asha Gurung in her speech stressed on fighting for the Rights of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Darjeeling and assured of medical aid and setting up of a hospice in Darjeeling in the future.

Mr Dhurba Chettri elaborately spoke on HIV/AIDS: The facts, modes of transmission and ways of prevention. He also briefly outlined the network of organisations at the national, state and district level working exclusively on HIV/AIDS.

Mr Shankermani Rai, President of Shanker Foundation DjNP+ brought to light the reality of living with HIV/AIDS in Darjeeling. Contrary to our perception, people with HIV/AIDS are still discriminated in every aspect of day to day living. He related the struggles faced by the organisation in working efficiently and the red tapism involved which delayed funds for the organisation thus keeping on hold many essential activities for the HIV/AIDS infected and affected people.

Many other guests also spoke on the current trends in HIV/AIDS prevalence and Prevention. Mrs Anuja Ghaley in her speech explained the connection of HIV/AIDS with other social ills in our society like Human trafficking and Drug Abuse and how a consolidated plan of action is required to tackle the menace of HIV.

‘Aarambh’, a short skit on the social stigma and discrimination faced by People Living with HIV/AIDS and awareness about the routes of transmission and modes of Prevention was performed by members of Baishnavi Production. The play was directed by Mr. Aditya Raya.

This was followed by rock music performances by local bands like Grey Matter, Helium Heart, Primitive Future, Ground Zero, N/A, Method 29, Baraka, Funeral Fire. Powerpoint presentation and messages on HIV/AIDS awareness was displayed during the performances.

The program concluded with a vote of thanks by Mr Hari Chettri, Secretary Shanker Foundation.

BIJANBARI WORLD AIDS DAY PROGRAM

On behalf of Shnaker Foundation DjNP+, Mrs Purnima Tamang, Out Reach Worker of the Foundation, organised a Red Ribbon Campaign in the Bijanbari block covering the Bijanbari Rural Hospital, Fire Brigade area, Block Office and the Bazar area. Around 500 copies of IEC materials were distributed on the occasion.

As reported by Nisha Chettri
Counselor