A red ribbon in the centre of a crowd was among several drawings at a painting workshop in the amphitheatre of a shopping complex in south Kolkata’s Dhakuria on Wednesday.
The painter was a 12-year-old HIV positive girl. Her art conveyed her wish — that the society stopped discriminating people like her.
Some 65 HIV positive children took part in a painting workshop in the amphitheatre of Dakshinapan shopping complex to mark World AIDS Day.
The children live at a home, Anandaghar, near Baruipur on the southern outskirts of Kolkata.
The home, spanning 13.5 bighas, shelters over 75 HIV positive children, aged 1.5 to 14 years. Besides education and medical treatment, there is special focus on tapping the talents of the children.
The 12-year-old girl, an orphan, is a ‘gifted painter’. She is also interested in sculpture.
“I want to get enrolled in the Government Art College. I want to be a professional artist,” said the girl.
Wednesday’s workshop was mentored by painter Samir Aich. Several bystanders and shoppers also tried their hands on the canvas spontaneously. The day began with musical performances by student bands.
“The workshop is an effort to mainstream these children. We continue this drive all 365 days of the year,” said Kallol Ghosh, the founder of OFFER (Organisation for friends, energies and resources), the NGO that runs the home.
The home started in 2000. Most of the inmates there are orphans. The children need antiretroviral drugs besides other medicines, a balanced diet and regular counselling sessions.
“We focus on the economic independence of HIV positive people. We organise vocational training so that they find work,” he added.
As a step towards that goal, the organisation has started a café on Lake View Road. Called Café Positive, it is run by a bunch of young HIV-positive people.
On Wednesday evening, three popular Bangla bands performed at Madhusudan Mancha to support the initiative. The proceeds of the ticket sales would go to the NGO that runs the home.