CFCA news
World AIDS Day rally takes place in India
December 1, 2010
The World AIDS Day rally takes place in Hyderabad, India.
HYDERABAD, India – The CFCA project in Hyderabad organized a World AIDS Day awareness rally Dec. 1 in collaboration with other local nonprofits and schools.
CFCA scholars and mothers groups participated in the rally, which featured a 2-kilometer (about a 1.2-mile) march through neighborhoods CFCA serves in Hyderabad.
"CFCA understands the issues surrounding AIDS and has taken the initiative to support the victimized children and families," said Suresh Singareddy, Hyderabad project coordinator. "We are also working on disease prevention by educating people about the disease and enlightening people to accept those affected."
The AIDS disease weakens the immune system and is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV.
Mothers in the CFCA mothers groups
shout slogans at the rally.
Two participants from the mothers groups who are infected with HIV, Rama and Vani (not their real names), shared their experiences during the rally.
They said HIV-infected people need acceptance and solidarity from the community so they can live normal lives. Other mothers described their experience having a relative affected by the disease.
In the past five years, the Hyderabad project has served children from 180 families affected with AIDS.
The project has worked among the urban poor in the slums of Hyderabad for more than 10 years, including some of the biggest slums like Rasoolpura.
India has about 3 million people living with HIV/AIDS.
CFCA Hyderabad staff members Sreekanth Gundoji and Bhavana Jayanthi contributed to this report.
