Fighting for a future

In the Palamau District of central India, only 29 percent of the population is aware of HIV/AIDS. MCC works with the MILAN project to teach the district's 1.5 million people about how to protect themselves from the disease.

Reaching out to such a large population requires careful planning and creativity. To draw the attention of large crowds, MILAN staff have turned the mela, a traditional community fair, into an opportunity to teach about HIV/AIDS. "Everybody, from a child to the old, knows the mela. We put AIDS there," explains project director Augustine Ningkhan.

On World AIDS Day, schoolchildren take the lead in informing the community about HIV/AIDS. Recently, 700 children representing seven schools walked from different points around the district to converge at the town center in Daltonganj. As they marched through villages with banners and placards, curious community members ventured into the streets and joined the day's activities.

Once everyone gathered, a rally complete with music, drama and speeches took place, each activity carefully crafted to bring awareness about HIV/AIDS to the crowd.