Viewing from a distance, many may think that the world of Drugs and HIV NGOs simply revolves around some funded activities like Needles/Syringes distribution, condoms and counseling, blood test and referrals, awareness and education, DOTs, ART etc etc. Is it just about it? Is it just about implementing NACO (or any other funder) funded project? Is it just about funds, reports, datelines, evaluations, trainings, assessments, meetings, workshops etc etc? Is it just about distributing needles and syringes to Injecting Drug Users (IDUs)? Is it just about condom promotion and distribution to HRGs ( High Risk Groups) of female sex workers, men having sex with men, high risk migrant workers, high risk truckers ? Is it just about faceless, nameless numbers? Numbers of HRGs identified, numbers of HRGs tested for HIV/VDRL etc etc. Is it just about NGOs implementing a ‘Funded Project’? If that is so, what will happen when there is no more ‘funds’? What will happen when there are no more external ‘funded NGOs’? Will the problems of HIV/AIDs just vanish? Can they be wished away? Will our society be prepared to take up the challenge?
NGO business is much more than needles/syringes and condoms, and funds and reports and datelines. It’s a business of saving precious individual lives. It’s about saving lives everyday. It’s about changing/transforming lives for the better every day. It’s about prolonging life. It’s about keeping the young and old healthy and safe from HIV/AIDS. It’s about preventing/saving a child from becoming an AIDS orphans. It’s about preventing children dying of AIDS. It’s about saving a mother from losing a son/daughter to HIV/AIDS. It’s about preventing a wife/husband from becoming an AIDS widow/widower. It’s about saving a child from getting infected with HIV. It’s about giving the life saving information and education to people who needs them. It’s about preventing a young woman from getting HIV. It’s about preventing ‘mothers to be’ from infecting their babies. It’s about preventing a young man from getting infected with HIV. It’s about saving a brother/sister. It’s about preventing the infected from infecting others, it’s about giving hope and support to the infected and the affected. It’s about maintaining and managing one’s status with dignity, respect and responsibility. It’s about preventing that fatal fix. It’s about preventing that that life threatening unsafe sexual encounter. It’s about solidarity for a better, healthier and safer world for today and for tomorrow. It’s about saving the future generation from preventable diseases and untimely death. It’s about educating and empowering our community/society to take decisions wisely and act with responsibility towards themselves and towards their fellow brothers and sisters. It’s about development and prosperity of the state by a healthy and productive generation free from drugs/alcohol and HIV/AIDs. It’s about working towards a state where resources are invested in sustainable development activities for the young and old rather than spending its resources on needles/syringes/condoms/drug treatment and rehabilitation, OI and ART drugs etc. It’s about preventing generations from being wiped out by drugs/alcohol and AIDS.
It’s a ‘life saving’ businesses. It’s a serious business. But it’s a ‘thankless job’ so we lament, so often within our NGO world. So often NGOs are misunderstood. Its true NGOs are not perfect. Commitment levels may vary. Motives may be misplaced sometimes. Things do go wrong sometimes. But too many misconceptions abound. Appreciations are rare. Genuine appreciation and encouragement and positive criticisms does help the NGOs to perform better. Perhaps it’s really ‘thankless job’. No holidays. No pensions. No other benefits like the Govt employees. No job security. No promotions. No increments. It’s a No-No, all the way. But then, it’s ok so long as we say ‘YES to LIFE’ and continue to promote life. Think of the satisfaction of a job ‘well done’. Think of the life we have changed/transformed, it’s priceless. Think of the smile of hope that we see when we reach out to a desperate person in need of hope, in need of a friend; it’s the best gift. Think of the grateful heart, the life that we have saved through our tireless effort of tracking down each precious individual making sure that he/she injects safely, that he/she practices safer behavior, he/she comes for his treatment regularly, is it not most rewarding ? Think of the present and the future generation that we are building and saving, perhaps someday someone will acknowledge/appreciate the dusty and difficult roads we travel, the broken homes and broken lives we try to put together. The tears we shed for some precious lives that slip us by. All said and done, whatever it takes (with or without NGOs, with or without funds) everyone should ensure that the state, the nation should stay healthy and safe from alcohol/drugs and HIV/AIDS. After all, saving lives from HIV/AIDS is not only NGOs’ business, but everybody’s business. NGOs may come and go, funds/funders may come and go but life has to go on and ‘life’ is what we all have. Let us all continue to keep ourselves busy in the ‘Life Saving Business’.
K. Ela
