The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Student clubs spreading HIV awareness

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 14, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Student clubs spreading HIV awareness

By Ramya Kannan

CHENNAI, APRIL 13. In September 2003, a seminar was planned to spread awareness of HIV/AIDS among college students in Chennai. Quite unexpectedly, it turned to be a spark which set off a fire.

A student came up with the suggestion that a club (of students) be formed to take the message of HIV/AIDS to the community. It was taken up enthusiastically. The Red Ribbon Club was formed, with the mandate of containing the spread of HIV infection among the youth, spreading awareness.

Today, less than a year after it was formed, the club has more than 12,000 members in 60 colleges from six districts, probably growing to be the single largest non-governmental pressure group against HIV in the State.

The districts are Chennai, Vellore, Coimbatore, Tiruchi, Madurai and Nagercoil, says S.Vincent, chief coordinator of the Red Ribbon Club. Fifteen colleges are members in Chennai, nine in Vellore, 12 in Coimbatore, seven in Tiruchi, eight in Madurai and nine in Nagercoil have Red Ribbon Clubs, each enrolling at least 200 student members. Each district has a coordinator and a coordinating institution which anchors awareness activities in that area.

``I consider AIDS an environment problem. So it was with the Enviro Club of Loyola College here that the Red Ribbon Club started, with support from the Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society,'' says Dr.Vincent. A concept generation contest, held in the beginning, helped to lure students into the area.

Tara Cherian, an M.Phil student and one of the winners of the contest, says, ``It really helped us crystallise our opinions and ideas. We came up with ideas to take the message across the community and soon most of the students enthusiastically joined in.''

At present, in addition to holding meetings on campuses to spread the message of HIV/AIDS, Red Ribbons Clubs have adopted small groups in the neighbourhood. Sujit Thankachen, student coordinator of the Loyola Red Ribbon Club, says his team works among the slums at Choolaimedu. ``Our animators go out to the local community, talk to them about HIV and the methods of contracting the virus. They even informally counsel people and urge those in `high-risk groups' to run a blood test for HIV.''

It has also provided students who were hesitant to seek advice outside an avenue to receive counselling and even test their blood. ``We send those students who need help to the chief coordinator who finds professional help for them,'' explains Mr. Thankachen.

The coordinators of the programme hope to develop it into a model project which can be replicated in other parts of the country as well.

On completion of a year, the project will be evaluated and additional components included. A newsletter, competitions on the theme and a study on the positivity status among college students will become part of the programme, says Dr.Vincent. Also, the number of clubs will be doubled in a year.

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