Home > News > Volunteers take to road

Volunteers take to road

5 November 2009

A group of volunteers are reaching out to truck drivers and other road users in Pemagatshel and educating them on HIV/AIDS and other social issues.
Led by Aum Gyem Lham, the dzongda’s wife, the group stops road users by offering them cold drinks and talks to them about how the dreaded disease is spread and what an individual can do to prevent it from spreading.
The group asks if the drivers
have submitted blood samples for screening and whether they would like to test for the disease to ensure that they are safe.
The truckers expressed their happiness with the awareness campaign because it enabled them to perform their normal work without hindrance.
“Earlier, the mandatory requirement
of truck drivers to attend HIV/AIDS campaigns required us to spend an entire day listening to speakers,” said a driver.
The persistent awareness programme in the last few years seems to have got the message across well. “Most of the drivers voluntarily gave their blood samples for screening. This is one of the most significant changes in the attitude of drivers this time compared to earlier campaigns,” said Aum Gyem Lham. “I am glad to see change taking place.”
The campaign on the road was a break for the group which has been going into the villages and creating awareness.
Aum Gyem Lham said that, while the main focus was on HIV/AIDS, the group has also been advocating other
issues.
Teenage pregnancy, domestic
violence, drugs and substance abuse, personal hygiene,
cleanliness and women issues were other topics the group has been advocating about. The establishment of Renew’s dzongkhag chapter
was another message the group talked to people.
“We already have a case of domestic violence with us. We hope more women subjected to domestic violence will get protection through Renew,” said Aum Gyem Lham,
The present campaign is being funded by the dzongkhag
Multi-Sectoral Task Force. The group, which also comprises some young women from the villages, has plans to tour interior gewogs later.
Given the prevalence of a courting culture in this part of the country, Aum Gyem Lham said awareness on safe sex and other women issues needed to be persistently addressed.
Pemagatshel Dzongkhag
reportedly has the second
highest number of HIV/AIDS cases among the six eastern dzongkhags.
The group’s next target is the schools

A group of volunteers are reaching out to truck drivers and other road users in Pemagatshel and educating them on HIV/AIDS and other social issues.

Led by Aum Gyem Lham, the dzongda’s wife, the group stops road users by offering them cold drinks and talks to them about how the dreaded disease is spread and what an individual can do to prevent it from spreading.

The group asks if the drivers

have submitted blood samples for screening and whether they would like to test for the disease to ensure that they are safe.

The truckers expressed their happiness with the awareness campaign because it enabled them to perform their normal work without hindrance.

“Earlier, the mandatory requirement

of truck drivers to attend HIV/AIDS campaigns required us to spend an entire day listening to speakers,” said a driver.

The persistent awareness programme in the last few years seems to have got the message across well. “Most of the drivers voluntarily gave their blood samples for screening. This is one of the most significant changes in the attitude of drivers this time compared to earlier campaigns,” said Aum Gyem Lham. “I am glad to see change taking place.”

The campaign on the road was a break for the group which has been going into the villages and creating awareness.

Aum Gyem Lham said that, while the main focus was on HIV/AIDS, the group has also been advocating other issues.

Teenage pregnancy, domestic violence, drugs and substance abuse, personal hygiene, cleanliness and women issues were other topics the group has been advocating about. The establishment of Renew’s dzongkhag chapter was another message the group talked to people.

“We already have a case of domestic violence with us. We hope more women subjected to domestic violence will get protection through Renew,” said Aum Gyem Lham,

The present campaign is being funded by the dzongkhag

Multi-Sectoral Task Force. The group, which also comprises some young women from the villages, has plans to tour interior gewogs later.

Given the prevalence of a courting culture in this part of the country, Aum Gyem Lham said awareness on safe sex and other women issues needed to be persistently addressed.

Pemagatshel Dzongkhag reportedly has the second highest number of HIV/AIDS cases among the six eastern dzongkhags.

The group’s next target is the schools.

By Gyembo Namgyal

Ratings: 1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars
Loading ... Loading ...
Email this page Email this page     Print this page Print this page    

Posted by Bhutan Observer · Filed Under News 

Comments

Leave your comment





Note: Comments are moderated by Bhutan Observer, and may not appear until they have been reviewed and deemed appropriate for posting.

Bhutan Observer is Digg proof thanks to caching by WP Super Cache