Awareness follow sex workers to pilgrim centres

AHMEDABAD: Surprised to see AIDS counselling centres or banners on HIV awareness at Dakor, Ambaji or Shamlaji? Well, these are the new focus areas to create awareness on AIDS, after commercial sex workers began to camp here during festive seasons. In addition to Surat, Ahmedabad and Vadodara, the focus areas for such programmes in Gujarat have expanded to popular village fairs like Tarnetar and Shyamlaji 'melas' and pilgrim spots like Dakor and Ambaji among many others.During festivals or village fairs, there is a large turnout of people from both rural and urban areas. Commercial Sex Workers (CSWs) are known to operate in pilgrim centres and some village fairs. Therefore various NGOs in Gujarat target these centres to create awareness on safe sex methods and prevention of HIV infections. The aim is to take advantage of the captive target audience to propagate their message. Anand-based NGO Jagrut Mahila Sangh (JMS) which works in Anand, Nadiad, Dakor and Vallabh Vidyanagar areas focuses on religious places and district centres. 'During fairs or special festivals, people throng Dakor for 'darshan' or business and trading purposes. CSWs operate from guest houses or hotels here. We have been organising educational programmes for CSWs so that we can build a rapport to promote healthy lifestyle and safe sex practices here," says Ashaben Dalal of the JMS. Sociologist and lecturer at the Gujarat University, Gaurang Jani, says such programmes help. The Gujarat Aids Awareness and Prevention unit (GAP) also joins the campaigners. 'We set up our stalls each year at the Tarnetar 'mela', the Shyamlaji 'mela', the donkey and other popular fairs where we expect a large turnout," says GAP director Dr Radium Bhattacharya. Joginder Upadhyaya, who visits the fairs to propagate HIV awareness and safe sex practices says, 'generally these fairs are attended by the rural folk of surrounding areas. They also attract the youth and sometimes there are 'pasandgi mela's or 'couple melas' where matchmaking takes place. This is the ideal place for us to put forth our message," he says. 'We first organise street plays to attract them and when they get interested, they come to us with questions. Ignorance on HIV and related subjects is quite high, and so is curiosity. We provide them scientific explanations using charts and AV aids," he says.