Sale help to HIV, AIDS patients

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, Nov. 30: An organisation that helps HIV positive people and AIDS patients will hold a garage sale in Darjeeling Chowrasta on World AIDS Day that is tomorrow.

The Shankar Foundation, which was established in 2007 in Darjeeling, is the organiser of this sale. Supporters of the organisation, who call themselves the Friends of Shankar Foundation, went about town today collecting used household items from residents to put up on sale.

The sale will be called Positive Haat and other than the shopping, there will be lots of other things to do, said Hari Chhetri, the president of the foundation who is HIV positive and has come out to speak about his condition.

The venue at Chowrasta, where the event begins at 10am, will also sell local food likesel roti and alu dum. Musicians will perform live till 6pm.

The Shankar Foundation supports the treatment of 163 men, 140 women, 33 children and three transgenders.

Chhetri said: "Even though there is awareness about HIV/AIDS, we face discrimination. This is why most of our members do not want to come out in the open. Some of them refuse to visit the Anti-Retroviral Therapy centres or even if they come to the centres, their mouths are covered. Some of our members tell our medical staff they will take their medicines only if it is brought to their homes."

Chhetri, who has been HIV positive for over a decade, said that he too felt indirect discrimination at times. "I feel that at times I am not invited to social gatherings, I often hear about remarks being passed in my absence. Life is difficult for our members."

The sale is important for the organisation's sustenance. "We have no other source of funding and all our members are working tirelessly to make the event a success. Last year, we collected around Rs 2.5 lakh and this time we are determined to cross this figure," Chhetri said.