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Hands for AIDS

The Modicare Foundation talks about its AIDS/HIV awareness programme

With an objective to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS and to dispel the myths and misconceptions about the disease The Modicare Foundation was set up 10 years ago.

But Samir Modi of the KK Modi Group and founder chairman has been silent about it all these years. Only recently, in an event he spoke about it. "We started out by giving funds to the NGOs. Soon I realised just giving money is not enough. We wanted to get involved with the work," he says.

Soon the foundation started their own in-house workplace awareness program for the countrywide employees and consultants.

Now the foundation works with 35 NGOs and various government bodies like NACO, State AIDS Societies, State education departments, international organisations like AVERT, ILO, UNAIDS, FHI and WEF, Chamber of commerce such as FICCI and CII and educational institutions.

It also claims to be one of the first corporate houses to initiate and implement `the HIV/AIDS policy.'

The foundation runs various programmes like `Ambassadors of Change' which educates adolescent boys and girls, teachers and parents about HIV/AIDS, develop life skills like empathy, self awareness, interpersonal relationships, problem solving and decision making. And through the `Support and sponsorship' program it provides medical and nutritional support to those infected by HIV/ AIDS and their families and encourages corporate organisations to become active sponsors and participants in the program.

Counselling too

The foundation also runs the Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centre (VCTC) at the Lok Nayak Hospital, New Delhi providing information about the disease as well as pre and post-test counselling.

The company spends about 3-4 crores per annum on the various programs. Modi says, "The foundation is not restricted to any particular place. We conduct workshops for different group of people like CRPF personnel, migrant workers, truck drivers and sex workers. We encourage them to ask questions which they have never dared to do and also encourage them to take precautions like using condoms."

Besides the foundation, he has also compiled a book called the `The Positive Side' which is based on the true stories of some of the AIDS patients.

Why AIDS?

"HIV/AIDS is something that can affect irrespective of the class one belongs to. It is a disease that threatens the very nature of our existence. So this foundation is a way of giving back to the society for what it has given me," he adds.

BIDYA SAPAM

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