For the first time in Gujarat, probably in India, HIV infected kids are going to perform in front of a huge audience of thousands at Kankaria Carnival on December 31. The idea is to make people aware that they (kids) are not responsible for their condition and though infected with the virus they are living a healthy life and so can others HIV-infected people.
Around 20 kids are going to participate in the fashion show and to cheer these kids more than 300 other positive children are expected to remain present with their parents.
Ahmedabad network of people living with HIV/AIDS (AbadNP+) is the host of the event which is going to be supported by the NGOs Gujarat State Network of Positive People (GSNP+) and Gujarat State Aids Control Society along with others.
"The carnival is going to witness huge crowd and therefore we thought of selecting it as the venue to spread the awareness in people in an innovative way," said president of AbadNP+, Manoj Parmar.
We want to make people aware that the HIV infected kids can also live a healthy life. What better place can we get than Kankaria Carnival where people are expected to visit in lakhs, addedParmar.
Dr Atul Patel who runs an NGO , said "If these HIV-infected kids are identified early in their lives, they a can lead a healthy life later."
What's required the most is nutritious diet and proper medication for their normal growth like any other child, said Patel.
Agreeing with the same, president of GSNP+ (Gujarat), Daksha Patel told DNA "We are connected with 9,000 HIV/AIDS infected people in the state and of them 1,019 are kids under 18 years of age. These kids are not only affected physically but have to go through mental and social stigma as well."
Therefore, such programmes can actually help the society to bridge the discrimination, added Patel. The programme will take place between 2:30 and 3:30 pm at stage-1.
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