Rain fails to stop HIV/AIDS march

DESPITE HEAVY showers yesterday morning, an impressive march was held in Chaguanas by the Overcomers’ Club to sensitise residents about the dreaded HIV/AIDS.

Schoolchildren participated in the march which began from Montrose Junction through Montrose and the Chaguanas Main Road  “to make people aware of the disease and to assist them to rise above their challenging circumstances so that they can live a most positive and powerful healthy active life. Headed by Anderson Figaro, the Overcomers’ Club is a 500-member strong  organisation representing the “Voice of One” one of the foremost and first HIV/AIDS organisations in Central Trinidad. It was formed by people living with HIV/AIDS “who see the disease not as an external threat or mystery virus, but as a daily challenge to every fibre of our society.”

Before the march started, Figaro said,  “Our activities are driven by our understanding of the inseparable link between God and man and wanting the peace and prosperity of our diverse communities as life is the most precious of all treasures.” Figaro added, “Our aim through faith and work is to improve our lives by taking up the challenge to care for our families to live without fear, to create values, to take responsibility for circumstances and to live compassionate lives.” He said, “We believe that inner transformation and the renewing of one’s mind can lead to the actions that bring about personal fulfilment and needed contribution towards a moral and just society.”

The aims of the Organisation are: to empower individuals and communities to respond to HIV/AIDS positively; reduce the vulnerability to HIV/AIDS infection; lessen the impact of HIV/AIDS on those infected and affected; provide services as counsellors, educators, and trainers in character development, to change attitudes, beliefs and practices to care for those infected and to protect the uninfected from becoming infected;  to establish a rehabilitation clinic and training centre. Figaro added, “We train young people for action that will stop this epidemic; and we improve their  skills, protect and improve their sexual health through communication, negotiation, assertiveness and heightening  public awareness through lectures by qualified personnel to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS.”