Driving HIV/AIDS Volunteers

The teenage members of the group were aware they were living with HIV/AIDS, though they had yet to make their condition public. The state has no strategy in dealing with children with HIV/AIDS.

Kompas/Stefanus Osa Triyatna

A girl uses a workbook provided by Komunitas Syair. The community’s volunteers support children by providing guidance, so that they can live without feeling ashamed or embarrassed about their physical condition.

Two large photos are seen in a room, each with different slogans: “AIDS Targets Us, It’s Time for Us to Pay Attention” and “AIDS Targets Everyone, Including You”. The room was packed with children, from under 5 years old to 7 years old. They were busy playing with toys, drawing and reading books, while some were listening to stories read out by volunteers.

In another room, a group of youngsters between 8 to 15 years old attended an English lesson led by Pritha Wibisono, a volunteer from Komunitas Syair, a poetry community. The children joining the activities that mid-February Sunday all lived with HIV/AIDS.