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Sector: HIV/AIDS
Ram Pyari never misses the opportunity to spread
her knowledge about HIV/AIDS. After being
trained by CORD as a ‘Village Resource Person’
on the topic, Ram Pyari realized the importance
of educating her community about the deadly
epidemic. Many villagers were once
scared to talk about the taboo topic, but now
everyone is aware of HIV/AIDS.
Ram Pyari was part of her local Mahila Mandal
(Village Women’s Group) but wanted to do more
for her community. She was a confident woman and
was well respected by her neighbors. When Meena
Sharma, a CORD worker, informed the women at a
monthly Mahila Mandal meeting about upcoming
trainings at CORD she jumped at the opportunity.
The issue of HIV/AIDS particularly struck Ram
Pyari because she had been hearing more and more
about it, but like many others in her village,
did not know anything about the epidemic.
After attending a five day training spread over
five months, Ram Pyari was inspired to share
what she had learnt with anyone willing to
listen. She could not believe that so many
people did not know about HIV/AIDS prevention
and was confident that if she educated people on
the issue she could single-handedly change her
village. Ram Pyari had to know about HIV/AIDS
inside and out before she could start bringing
awareness to others. With enthusiasm she
continued to study every aspect of the epidemic,
often spending her own money to buy books and
materials. Her children noticed her diligently
studying books on HIV/AIDS and became interested
in the topic as well. Ram Pyari would often sit
with her children and have a discussion so that
they too could pass the message of prevention on
to as many people as possible.
At first, Ram Pyari brought the topic up at a
Mahila Mandal meeting. Never having discussed
this topic openly before, the women were
hesitant to speak up. They always believed that
HIV/AIDS was passed only through sexual
relations. So when they found out that it could
also be passed through other ways like blood
transfusions, they were shocked and eager to
learn more.
Ram Pyari did not just stop at the Mahila Mandal
meetings. She has sought out other opportunities
to disseminate the information she
 gathered
from CORD. Every time there is a Panchayat
meeting, Ram Pyari makes sure she attends and
does not hesitate to spread the word even in
front of large crowds. Ram Pyari also educates
children at camps that are held by the National
Service Scheme, an association that arranges
extracurricular activities for the youth. She
even discussed the topic with the Parent Teacher
Association of the local government school that
she is affiliated with. People now come to her
with questions and concerns. Ram Pyari’s
knowledge is so vast that once after giving a
lecture on HIV/AIDS, she was approached by a
Block Medical Officer who was amazed at the
amount of information that she knew. When he
asked her where she learned about this topic,
she proudly said CORD.
However, her audience was not always so
receptive. Ram Pyari often had difficulties
talking to the youth, a group that she strongly
felt needed to hear this message. They
questioned her knowledge and credibility. They
used to say that she thinks she has earned her
M.B.B.S. degree and so she can preach to us. But
when they saw her sincerity and her eagerness to
help them, they started listening to what she
had to say.
Today, Ram Pyari organizes large events
especially on December 1st for World AIDS Day.
Gathering villagers of all ages, skits,
speeches, and a large rally were just some of
the highlights. Ram Pyari was overwhelmed by the
amount of people who attended and felt so
strongly about the issue. This event has only
strengthened her zeal and is the stepping stone
for her vision for a public educated on
HIV/AIDS.
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