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Open Space presents My Mother, The Gharwali, Her Maalak, His Wife, a play about sex workers, performed by sex workers
Monday, June 16, 2008, 5.30pm to 8.00pm, at Bal Gandharva Rangamandir, Off J.M.Road, Pune
Leena is a woman in prostitution. Leena is also a woman in love with her rickshaw-driver prince, who is suddenly talking about riding off into the sunset – alone. Unless, of course, Leena helps him buy a spanking new rickshaw by giving him a loan of Rs.25, 000. She waits for her lover, and she waits on her customer. Outside in the lane, the arrival of a goonda (thug) causes a flutter. The cop who chases him away is also chasing a man who lives in the same galli…….
'My Mother, The Gharwali, Her Maalak, His Wife ' is a theatre production that looks at 24 hours in the lives of the people who live in or pass through the galli (street) in which Leena lives. Hear them tell their own stories and re-imagine their own realities. Meet the usual suspects – the paanpattiwala, the goonda, the children, the regulars. See them as they are. Get involved in their lives – feel overjoyed, indignant, angry, sad and make merry with them. Just remember, what happens here in these 24 hours, happens in their galli everyday. The play is performed by women in prostitution and their kin. -
HIV+ man gave blood 9 times
By Akshaya Kumar Sahoo, Bhubaneswar
June 5: An HIV-positive man, taking advantage of the negligence of blood bank officials in the Bolangir district headquarters hospital, has donated blood at least nine times. It is apprehended that many of the beneficiaries, who received infected blood, might have already contracted the disease.
From Lokmat Times, Nagpur. -
Tata Steel bags award on AIDS work
Jamshedpur, June 1: Tata Steel was awarded the TERI Corporate Award for its initiatives for HIV/AIDS.
The award was given away by Union minister of commerce and industry Kamal Nath at a function held in New Delhi last evening. The award was given in collaboration with Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), an international co-operation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations, to recognise and mainstream corporate leadership for HIV/AIDS intervention.
From The Telegraph, Calcutta. -
HIV centre in TN gave ‘expired’ pills to 60 patients
THANJAVUR: An anti-retroviral therapy (ART) centre at the Thanjavur medical college has given expired drugs to at least 60 people living with HIV/AIDS. While experts say it isn’t dangerous to take such drugs after the expiry date, some HIV positive people have complained of itching, vomiting and giddiness.
From Times of India. -
HIV infected woman struggles to make two ends meet
Panjim : She met him when he first time came over to her place with her brother as a guest, and she eventually developed a soft corner for this unknown man …this was love! After a couple of meetings, both decided to tie the knot. The girl's family too approved the relationship.
Beena (name changed to protect identity), resident of Pernem north Goa fell in love with a migrant 'cook' working at a hotel in Goa and had married him six years ago and were even blessed with a son, a year after their marriage.
Beena's joy was short lived. A few years later, the couple tested HIV+. Beena recalled how her husband's health started deteriorating and after several tests for various ailments, he tested positive for HIV. Her world of dreams came crashing down when she too tested positive. A silver lining in the dark cloud however was their son tested HIV negative.
From Gomantak Times, Goa. -
Sanath made SAARC Goodwill Ambassador
Sri Lanka's star batsman Sanath Jayasuriya and actress Shabana Azmi were selected as SAARC Goodwill Ambassadors for the programme ‘Uniting for HIV AIDS’ by the selection committee at a meeting held at the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu recently.
From www.dailymirror.lk. -
Stage show and candlelight vigil help WAKE UP PUNE to support people living with HIV
“Aaiye, poori duniya ke saath sur mein sur milakar gayein… HIV positive logon ke saath haath se haath milaakar chalein.” [Let’s all come together and join hands with people living with HIV.]
That was the message delivered by Indian Idol winner Abhijeet Sawant to a crowd of thousands assembled at MG Road Walking Plaza on Sunday evening, gathered for a rally, a stage show and a candlelight vigil organised by the Wake Up Pune HIV/AIDS awareness campaign to show support for those living with and affected by HIV.
“Aur hamesha yaad rakhe, HIV/AIDS ki is jung main [always remember in the fight against HIV/AIDS]… Never give up, never forget!” added fellow Indian Idol star Amit Sana.
The spectacular show was the culmination of a week of events held in Pune to mark Global AIDS Week of Action 2008 (18-25 May). The week started on 18 May with special outdoor awareness events at Mariplex Mall and INOX Cineplex. These were followed by a ‘Positive Living and Sharing’ workshop on 20 May and a rally on 22 May to support and advocate the parliamentary HIV/AIDS Bill. -
Attitudinal Change towards Notions of Gender and Sexuality – South Asia
Dr. Avnish Jolly: South Asian region is going through an attitudinal change towards notions of gender and sexuality. In a recent democratic development in South Asia, Nepal became the first country elect an openly gay man working for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people as its representative in the Constituent Assembly.
This election followed another historic first by a South Asian country — a decision by the Nepali Supreme Court recognising LGBTI people as persons before the law.
From The India Post. -
Comic books with HIV+ heroes to hit stands
New Delhi: The latest comic books hitting the stands will have super heroes who are all HIV positive.
The comic book called O+Men has a team of nine superheroes who became HIV+ through unsafe sex, sharing syringes and through birth.
From IBN Live.
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'Paragrams' by WPSHOWER
