Darjeeling, Dec. 1: A cuppa over healthy life!

A US-based tea company, Tazo, has decided to plough in a whopping US $ 50,000 (around Rs 20 lakh) to create awareness about HIV/AIDS in the Hill town even as the number of HIV-positive persons is on the rise.

The tea company, which has been trying to ?give back something? to workers of brew estates, has made one of the biggest financial commitments by any organisation in the region in recent times.

?We have received a part of the amount and have started our project,? said Pravat Rana, the convener of Darjeeling NGO Network, a conglomeration of 22 organisations. ?We are collaborating with other organisations such as, Kripa, D.L.R. Prerna, Anugalaya, Dishanepa, Darjeeling Sparsh and Inner Wheel Club.?

?We plan to launch special programmes for workers in tea estates,? Rana added.

The main aim of the year-long project will be to organise camps (around 45 have already been held) across the Hill subdivisions. The orientation camps are aimed at creating awareness among parents and schoolchildren. The network and its associates also plan to distribute pamphlets and booklets on the killer disease. Three-hundred peer educators will also be trained so that the programme can sustain itself in the long run.

Darjeeling Red Cross Society, with the department of health and other NGOs, today took out a rally to mark the Worlds AIDS Day. The procession started from Eden Hospital and ended there, followed by skits, one-act plays, a community painting programme and a signature campaign. The NGO network also released a CD, highlighting various issues related to HIV/AIDS.

Maj. K.P. Malla, the secretary of the Red Cross unit here, added that so far around 65 people have been detected with the killer disease. ?We need to create awareness against HIV/AIDS immediately, since the disease can have a devastating effect on the socio-economic status of the place,? he added.