ISSN: 1391 - 0531
Sunday May 18, 2008
Vol. 42 - No 51
Mirror  

Awareness with a twist

Save Lanka Kids set out to educate youth on AIDS through the community

By Tahnee Hopman

Being forced to shift the venue of an event 12 hours before it begins would be any organiser's nightmare. It is almost unbelievable, but it did happen. After weeks and months of non stop preparation, the venue for the all important event had to be changed.

The event was a massive AIDS awareness campaign, organised by Save Lanka Kids. When complications arose with regard to the location chosen, the organisers had no choice but to shift from Hikkaduwa to the Devata area in Galle.

Regardless of the setbacks, the event which took place last month was a resounding success. The dedicated team of volunteers walked the streets of Galle that morning, handing out pamphlets and speaking to fishermen, passers-by, and people from all walks of life, inviting them to come for the sports festival. In spite of not having sufficient publicity on the spur of the moment, over a thousand participants were present at the sports festival, and joined in all the activities with gusto.

"What made the event so popular was the fact that it was not just focused on building up awareness, but it also had a fun aspect – with all the games and competitions," recalled Prabu Deepan, Project Coordinator, Save Lanka Kids. "We also had a DJ present and there were people dancing even in the middle of the play area."

The competition had got so intense at some points that a few light brawls had erupted in the course of the campaign. But what was important was that at the end of the day, in addition to having lots of fun, everyone left having learnt something useful. Throughout the day, there were various awareness programmes and street dramas conducted by the associations that collaborated with Save Lanka Kids.

The organisation had initially collaborated with a few beach boys from the area, some of whom are victims of sexual abuse. In addition to sponsors, many aid organisations gave their support to the event; they were the Red Cross, Salvation Army, The National AIDS Protection Programme, the Family Planning Association and Nava Jeevana.

Three weeks on from the campaign, the work of Save Lanka Kids continues. The whole idea of the programme and its continuing work is to alert people, especially the youth, to the fact that it is possible for AIDS to affect them. The ultimate goal is education.

"We don't venture opinions on what is right and wrong, but we give them the education needed to make informed and responsible decisions. We are a youth organisation working for the youth, ensuring that they know how to protect themselves and feel both confident and secure. We are energetic, enthusiastic and we will not back down whatever they throw at us, and this was one of the things that we drew the most inspiration from during the event," elaborated Prabu.

One of the guiding principles of Save Lanka Kids is that protection alone is not enough, but that the youth need to understand the importance of standing up for those affected by AIDS, and working towards making their lives at least a little better.

In short, one person can make a difference. One person can be the change. And one person can save a life. Anyone out there interested in joining this cause, check out the Save Lanka Kids group on Facebook, or email: outreach@gmail.com , or call 251 3865 for details.

 
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