Awareness program for Schools & Colleges
Asha Kirana works with schools, industry, and other community and faith-based organizations to promote HIV/ AIDS awareness. Counselors and Out Reach Workers (ORW’s) conduct periodic HIV/AIDS education and prevention
programs in schools and work places through guest lectures and interactive sessions. The schools also responded with programmes for teachers, wherein awareness for teachers is frequently imparted. Asha Kirana has reached out and to more than 20000 school and college students since 1998 to strengthen norms about safer sexual behavior among youth and encourage risk reduction in their communities.
Asha Kirana also conducted awareness programmes for Industries workers. In this year laborers were also sensitized through awareness programmes in different parts of Mysore city.
Village Out reach Programme
Over the years Asha Kirana have Out Reach field staff and who are making significant efforts related to village outreach and education of HIV. There is HIV education to the primary and secondary students, training sessions for village volunteers, educational sessions for village chiefs, condom distribution and a recent addition HIV/AIDS street plays, Minimize Lost to Follow-up cases Asha Kirana by imparting home-based counseling.
Asha Kirana regularly organizes village out reach programmes in villages around Mysore city and 26 such programme during the year 2011 alone Asha Kirana has covered 6,180 Self Help Groups members.
Program Objectives
- Create awareness of the impact of HIV/AIDS within Rural and semi-Rural regions surrounding Mysore.
- Help facilitate behavior changes, whether it is about their treatment or of those infected or affected by HIV/AIDS
- Increase awareness of how to reduce their risk for HIV/AIDS or STIs transmission
- Reduce stigma, fear, denial and discrimination around HIV/AIDS
- Create a safer space within village communities which enables people to be comfortable and speak on issues of HIV/AIDS or STIs without fear of discrimination.
Awareness In Industries
Research shows that only a very small percentage of employers in the Industrial sector educate their staff
around HIV/AIDS. This is due to a lack of knowledge and resources to source appropriate and effective
HIV/AIDS training interventions, a general feeling in the sector is that professional employees are not
vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, and discomfort around offering such education and training in the workplace. With Karnataka being one of the 5 HIV High Prevalence states in the country is also highly industrialized. The need for Indian industry to proactively initiate and sustain healthy and educated discourse on HIV at workplaces is immediate. The economic and social consequences that will come with unchecked HIV infection rates are highly significant.
Asha Kirana's prevention workshops have addressed workers across many large workplaces, that include -
L&T, Bhaba Atomic Research Center, Infosys, Vikrant Tyres, Nestle, Bacardi, Automotive Axles Limited.