The World Vision 24 Hour Famine is a fundraising event held around the world, mainly involving young people who raise money to support projects overseas to improve the lives of other children in need. Thousands of young people are being sponsored to go without something for 24 hours. Some will go without food. Others will do a more alternative “famine” and do without your gadgets, or be silent for 24 hours.
The money raised will go toward the Jeevan Asha Healthy Highway Programme, based in Jaipur, India, Rajasthan. It works along a 140-kilometer stretch of National Highway 8 where people are at great risk of HIV and AIDS. Between two and five million long-distance drivers work in India. The Rajnat communities, are traditional sex workers and have established villages along the highway, giving the truckers easy access to their services. Ultimately, both the Rajnat women and the truckers (and consequently their partners and children back in their home communities) are at high risk of becoming HIV positive. World Vision is working with both groups to reduce the risks.
The money will allow the Jeevan Asha workers to help Rajnat girls and truckers protect themselves. Exhibitions and street plays will b staged educating on the risks of HIV and other STDs and condoms will be distributed.
There will be seminars and parental groups helping parents discover the truth about HIV and AIDS as well as the importance of education in their children’s future lives. Bridge schools will be set up to help children get back into mainstream school with life and vocational skills training for children and adults to prepare them for alternative jobs.
Recreation centers will also be created for children, giving them a chance to be children and not breadwinners.
More information is available at www.bugonline.org/server.php?show=nav.2417.
