World AIDS Day, Chennai
Residents of SM Nagar slum, central Chennai, lined the streets and crowded onto their balconies to watch the community’s World AIDS day rally on 1 December.
Children carried banners, adding to the joyful atmosphere, and students from a local college performed dramas about HIV transmission and avoidance.
Creating awareness and removing the stigma of living with HIV is one of the first steps in preventing the spread of AIDS in this community.
The local Voluntary Counselling & Testing Centre (VCTC) moved into the Oasis India office in the heart of the community for the day and residents were given counselling about HIV before being invited to be confidentially tested for HIV.
Youth in the lead
‘The rally was good because now people know what HIV is and about the voluntary counseling centre. We wanted to know but had no guidance.’ says 19-year-old Madhavan.
He was the first person to come forward for the HIV test. He says, ‘now I can motivate my friends to get tested, and in the future if I meet people who are HIV positive I want to care for their needs'.
He handed out pamphlets during the rally and is always one of the first to help Oasis India staff with their projects in the community. Madhavan lives with his mother and left school when he was only 13 so he could get a job to support her.
Oasis India is giving extra tuition to young people and helping school drop-outs continue with their education. We’re also providing football coaching, which is very popular! Madhavan says, ‘As a group we can develop our lives and then guide other people to come up in their lives.’
Family affair
One of the things Madhavan likes most about living in SM Nagar is that people of all ages sit together and  talk. People of all ages got involved in the AIDS rally.
Grandmother Nagamal handed out leaflets and says, ‘we became so tired while walking in the rally. My children took part so I took part to encourage them. I also sent my grandchildren to the rally.’ Like Madhavan, Nagamal is an active member of her community, lobbying government officials about stagnant water and uncollected rubbish.
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