AIDS: ICHAP changing the lives of Devdasis

Bangalore, Dec 3: She was just nine, little did she know that her future will turn dark when her parents dedicated her to goddess Yellamma as a Devadasi in Bagalkot in Karnataka.

Eldest in the family of eight children, Kalavathy (name changed) was a graceful and articulate child, naughty and fun-loving like any other village lass. But her life changed after she was dedicated as a Devadasi. Trafficked into Maharashtra she was forced into sex work and was afflicted by the deadly HIV. Soon she realised that she cannot marry and has to lead a life different from others.

Hundreds of such women from poor families suffer today as Devadasis and later sex workers in Northern districts of Karnataka.

A young female is dedicated to the goddess as Devadasi, who in turn is exploited by the society.

After many twists and turns, ups and downs, the advent of HIV prevention programmes brought light into the life of this village girl once again. And many of these Kalavathys have found a platform to change not only their own lives but the lives of hundreds of villagers. Thanks to India-Canada Collaborative HIV/AIDS Project (ICHAP) introduced in Bagalkot.

Till 2002 the HIV prevention projects were concentrated in urban areas and responding to the trends showing the shift of HIV prevalence from urban to rural, National AIDS Control Organisation, the apex Government body in charge for the National Programme, selected Bagalkot as a Rural Demonstration Project and ICHAP began its work in four taluks of the backward district which was chalked out from a bigger Bijapur district in late nineties. Later on the project covered all the six taluks of the district.

ICHAP, instead of just concentrating on creating awareness about HIV prevention among high risk groups like female sex workers, worked with the general community on various socio-economic issues and spread its programme to the remote villages of the district. It also came together with Karnataka Network of People Living with HIV (KNP+) and helped start a network of People Living with HIV.

The efforts saw the emergence of Chaitanya Mahila Sangha, a collective for the sex workers and by the sex workers and also Jeevan Jyothi, a community-based organisation formed by people living with HIV. The realization that HIV prevention takes much more than just condom-promotion and awareness, the project went on to create linkages with the villages and helped these village folks build their capacities by inculcating in them the urge to improve their literacy, health and hygiene and started other empowerment programmes like forming sanghas and self-help groups to create a habit of savings.

Thus linkages to micro-credit and institutions such as banks were formed. They have also conducted several health clinics and awareness programmes to prevent the spread of Sexually Transmitted Infections. The stress was on building the socio-economic aspects which will bring about a complete change in the life style of the villagers rather than just dealing with the epidemic. The idea is to create an environment where they would be able to understand and tackle the spread of infection on their own.

About 30 STI clinics were established in all the taluks and they function at fixed time on fixed days and improving attendance here shows the rise in the health-seeking behaviour of the women.

After just four years, Chaitanya AIDS Prevention Mahila Sangha has spread its reach to more than 200 villages in all the six taluks of Bagalkot district. About 40 SHGs have been formed in about 30 villages, each consisting of 10 to 16 members. The key objective has been to collectivise, give information on HIV prevention, education, empowerment and linkages to micro-credit.

Talking on their experiences on the benefits of forming a Sangha, Lakkavva, who developed into a folk artiste told sources, "Initially we were reluctant to form a group as we did not see any benefits. Many a times we have been disillusioned with false promises. Only when we were told this would be a group exclusively of Devadasi women we agreed. In a mixed group there is hostility between women who think we steal their husbands. In this group, there were common issues and a common sense of bonding." Common issues include health, prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), children and partners.

Sharing her experience about the rise in self esteem and confidence building of these marginalised women, a member of the Basaveswara Sangha in the village of Ranna Belagili said, "Training in rights and entitlements has helped increase confidence. As a collective, we are now recognized by the gram panchayat and village elders. We get information on latest schemes that we can access. We are planning to avail housing and sanitation schemes."

Clearly a sense of ownership and pride in being part of a collective was seen among the same women who now know the ills of the system and say that new dedications as devadasis in the families have stopped.

"Now they are very rare and isolated. And our members fight and stop such incidents. We have stopped around 67 dedications in the last three years," said Madhu Naduvinamane, 25, a peer coordinator, now one of the backbones of the Sangha.

"As a Devadasi, I constantly counsel parents who plan to dedicate their children and try and stop them," she added. Yet there have been incidents where the families dedicate children secretly and the community was not in a position to prevent them.

Once a family sent the girl to Maharashtra and only when she returned home pregnant did people come to know she had been dedicated.

In April 2006, ICHAP has handed over the good work done in the villages to Karnataka Health Promotion Trust which continues to oversee these villages and provides the necessary technical and financial support with an office in Bagalkot headed by Usha Rani and a staff of 10 persons who constantly visit the villages and collect the data and support the community led initiatives.

As a result of these efforts, the HIV prevalence in Bagalkot has remained around three and there was no increase for the last couple of years unlike some of the other districts in Karnataka, where the numbers are increasing at an alarming pace. This Bagalkot model should be taken as a model project and should be replicated in other high-HIV prevalent districts in the country.

UNI

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