Positive change
The Hallegudhahalli slum area on the outskirts of Bangalore is a tough place to live. Drug dealers, gang leaders and pimps have all made their homes here. Young people drop out of school but don’t find jobs and rival gangs pick fights with each other. Two graveyards bookend the community.
Change is spreading through this place though. At the Oasis India community centre, young people are learning computer skills and English, building friendships with the staff and getting HIV education and counseling. As one person’s life improves, they become a positive influence on friends and family.
Marta and Anu have just come back from getting HIV tests at the local hospital. They were told about HIV and its transmission at our community centre, and decided to get tested.
Awareness
Anu found out about the centre from a friend who used to come here who is now doing a nursing course. She says, ‘I can self-support after coming here. I can earn good money and get a good job. Also I was not aware what HIV was. Now after one week we have learnt about it and today we have gone for testing.'
Marta says they are not afraid about getting the results. ‘We may feel hurt (if they test positive) but if we come to know, we will not spread it.’
‘Oasis has come forward to offer education. Nobody else has come to the slum to help us. We have a big desire to improve. By getting help, we can help other people.’
Job skills
Nineteen-year-old Balu found out about our community centre through friends. He is studying computers here and is hoping to use his new skills to get a job doing data management. He says, ‘I am trying to change myself. Through Oasis, I learnt about the transmission of HIV and how to prevent it. I will be careful in future.
‘I went to hospital last year to get tested. I was not afraid because I don’t have any risky behaviour. Now I want to educate my peers about HIV and AIDS.’
Character
Stopping the spread of HIV isn’t just about educating people about transmission and prevention. It is also about creating a more positive environment where people can live fulfilling lives.
Amit is 20-years-old and has lived with his parents in the Hallegudhahalli community all his life. His dad drives an auto-rickshaw and his mum does sewing from their house. He dropped out of school during his 10th Standard and spent his time on the streets, whiling away the time. They used to get into fights with rival gags, and he has spent some time in jail.
Since September last year, he has been coming to the centre which Oasis India has in the community. Amit found out about the centre through a friend of his mother. He has been learning computers which should help him get a good job, and is studying for his 10th Standard through the National Open School distance learning programme. Oasis India staff spend time with him, building a friendship and counseling him about how to live a good life.
And, like Marta and Balu, he wants to pass on what he has learnt to his friends. He says, ‘We have to become friends with our rivals. I want to be a better person in society so my friends will see me and change.’
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