By IANS,
New Delhi: Sex workers, homosexuals, drug users, transgenders, and core group of young truck drivers and helpers Tuesday came together in the capital to share their experiences on sexuality and how to reduce the risk of HIV and AIDS.
The ‘at-risk communities’ interacted with each other during a one-day festival hosted by the Center for Human Progress and the State Training and Resource Centre in collaboration with the Delhi State AIDS Control Society.
During the day the participants showcased the strategies that their communities have used to scale down their vulnerability by increasing health-seeking behaviour, through photography, theatre, music and dance.
One such initiative was a documentary on the lives and realities of truckers and their day to day experiences prepared by a young team of 14 truck drivers, helpers and a group of young student volunteers.
“The aim of this documentary was to make people realize that our community of truck drivers and helpers is extremely vulnerable, often alone and not knowing who to turn to in times of crisis and difficulties. Addressing our human rights issues is therefore very important and to do that we need to make our voices heard,” said a young truck helper Vishnu.
Another documentary screened at the festival showed how these risk communities participated in various forms of art like theatre, music and dance to share their experiences and increase dialogue.
“The event is an important step in strengthening the response and creating an enabling environment for such communities,” Centre for Human Progress’ director Ashu Pachauri said.
Pachauri, a ‘Community Mentor’, felt that the festival gave ‘at-risk communities’ an opportunity to share their joys and pain using creative expression, such as theatre.
A trained theatre performer, Pachauri added: “Theatre moves beyond giving messages… It also helps us come together to overcome the sense of alienation and integrate them with the mainstream society.”
Analysis of the Annual Sentinel Surveillance conducted by National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) shows a disproportionately higher incidence of HIV infection among certain population groups. At present Delhi State AIDS Control Society is covering over 50,000 such risk community members.