Wake Up Pune

Live installation at Pune Railway Station

Becky — Wed, 15 May 2013 09:20:46 +0000

On May 13th, Wake Up Pune volunteers set up a live installation at Pune railway station. The objective was to catch the crowd’s attention through a scene illustrating the stigma that can be observed towards people living with HIV/AIDS.

Some signs with slogans such as “Break the silence” or “Set us free” were displayed and Deep Griha’s Disha staff were holding a speech to explain what the scene was about.

We were very impressed of the attention that people devoted to us. We really hope that our action will have an impact on people’s behaviours.

Photography workshop at Sahara on May 1st & 3rd

Becky — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:29:40 +0000

On May 1st and May 3rd, Wake Up Pune volunteers spent the day at Sahara house, one of our partners. Sahara provides residential care and rehabilitation programmes for people facing difficult situations due to substance use and HIV/AIDS.

The goal of this two-day activity was to take pictures that represented our own fear and hope. Each one of us, Sahara clients, Sahara staff and WUP volunteers took part in this activity. Even if fears are not always easy to talk about, we conducted this activity in a very relaxed way and had a lot of fun along these two days.

The photo activity was a good way for Sahara clients to open up and share their feelings and thoughts to others. It was also the occasion to realize that we all have fears and concerns. Yet we also have many hopes. Express ourselves about them through photography was very instructive and interesting!

The different pictures taken were printed and we made posters out of them. The posters will be exhibited at the High Spirits Cafe on Friday 17th, during our GAWA week.

Global AIDS Week of Action May 13th to May 19th

Becky — Tue, 07 May 2013 04:51:42 +0000

Join us during the Global AIDS week of action (GAWA) 2013!

Get involved in the fight against HIV and AIDS and take part in our activities:

Monday 13 May

5 – 7 PM:Live installation, Pune railway station

Wednesday 15 May
10 AM – 1 PM: Rangoli campaign, Tadiwala Road

4 – 7 PM: Rangoli campaign, Swargate

Thursday 16 May

4 – 6 PM: Signature campaign, Nucleus Mall

Friday 17 May

3 – 5 PM: Signature campaign, Pacific Mall, Swargate

8:30 PM: High Big Gigs concert: Vasuda Sharma, High Spirits Cafe, KP

Saturday 18 May

11 AM to 1 PM: Signature campaign, Shoppers Stop, Shivaji Nagar

4 – 9 PM: Charity football tournament, Anand Vidya Niketan School, Fun Fitness – Viman Nagar

Sunday 19 May

5 – 6 PM: Rally from Sassoon General Hospital to Tadiwala road

6 – 7 PM: Awards ceremony & Stage performance at Tadiwala road

7 – 8 PM: Candlelight vigil at Tadiwala road

8 – 9 PM: Concert at Tadiwala road

We count on your participation!

Bootcamp at Seamless Education on April 26th

Becky — Wed, 01 May 2013 09:22:05 +0000

On April 26th Wake Up Pune volunteers held a bootcamp at Seamless Education Institute on HIV/AIDS. We addressed the most important aspects of the virus such as how it affects our immune system, how it is transmitted, what the treatment is and what can be done to avoid being infected. We also went through some world and local statistics on the virus spread. In addition, we discussed the discrimination and stigma towards people who are HIV positive. We talked about ways to stop such attitudes and to improve HIV+ people’s life.

Seamless Education staff and students were highly participative. We had a nice time with them and thank them for their hospitality.

Wake Up Pune questionnaire event @ Shisha’s tonight 8pm

Becky — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 09:30:08 +0000

Wake Up Pune will be running an HIV awareness night at Shisha’s Jazz bar tonight at 8. We will be asking patrons to fill out questionnaires and be selling T shirts and handing out leaflets. Come and join for a fun, awareness spreading evening!

What is the normal waiting period for confirming a negative result?

Becky — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 07:23:05 +0000

3 months is the amount of time required for the virus to show on all tests. So, if you test negative after three months, this should be reliable. More information on testing can be found on our ‘Getting Tested‘ …

Last friday, whilst having sex the condom tore. I have got myself tested for HIV and it’s showing negative. What should I do to be 100% sure that I am not infected?

Becky — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 07:18:14 +0000

Though taking a test soon after is a good indicator, it can take up to three months for the HIV virus to be picked up in tests. You should therefore get yourself re-tested after this time to be certain of your status.

Wake Up Pune Boot Camp today March 10th at 4 PM

Becky — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 07:57:19 +0000

Greetings, Wake Up Pune Volunteers!

On Sunday March 10th, there will be an English-language “bootcamp” for volunteers at the Deep Griha centre on Tadiwala Road.

A Wake Up Pune bootcamp is a crash course in HIV/AIDS that covers basic information about the virus, transmission, and stigma in around 1 1/2 hours.
If you are a new volunteer, attending at least one bootcamp is required, as it helps us ensure that all of our volunteers have up to date and accurate information about HIV/AIDS. Bootcamps are both fun and informative, and attending one will help prepare you to participate in (or even organize and run!) bootcamps in the future.
Bootcamps are one of the most important HIV/AIDS awareness and education activities that Wake Up Pune facilitates, as it allows groups of people to discuss HIV/AIDS and ask questions in an informal and non-threatening environment. During the volunteer bootcamp, volunteers not only participate in the regular bootcamp but are also given tips on how to run bootcamps of their own.

If you’re a new volunteer (or an older volunteer who wouldn’t mind a refresher course), the details for the bootcamp are as follows:

Wake Up Pune volunteer orientation bootcamp
Sunday, March 10th
3 PM – 4.30 PM
Deep Griha Family Welfare Centre
Tadiwala Road

WUP at Shisha’s – March 8th

Becky — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 09:14:41 +0000

Come join us March 8th for an awareness event at Shisha’s!

When: March 8th 8-10 PM

Where: Shisha’s Jazz Cafe- ABC Farms, Koregaon Park, Pune 411001

What: Awareness event! (including questionnaires red ribbons, and selling DISHA merchandise)

Why: To raise awareness!