“It’s a chance for us to try something new. As soon as I heard that there is something about radio, I said ‘yes’. It’s an interesting medium for us to tell our stories. There’re a lot of positive events happening and we hope that our stories can inspire others,” said Sumana from Jalgaon.

Members of five zones of the Maharashtra Network for Positive People (MNP+) were selected to participate in the first radio training workshop as part of a proposal by Mumbai-based The Comminication Hub (TCH) . The proposal, which is one of the 25 programmes supported by the World Bank for South Asia Regional Development Marketplace 2008, is called ‘Tackling HIV/AIDS Stigma and Discrimination: From Insights to Action’.

Over the two decades since HIV was detected in the country, stigma and discrimination associated with the ailment are the major challenges.

According to organisers, TCH was selected for its proposal ‘Harnessing Radio to Empower and Transform: A Participatory Approach to Addressing Stigma’. The proposal involves making HIV positive people to create 13-15 minute radio capsules.

“The focus is on the persons with HIV infections facing stigma and positive stories about them will be portrayed. Over the last three days, the participants have been given training in radio journalism and broad themes were discussed for the radio programmes. Stories from all parts of Maharashtra will be incorporated,” said Sonalini Mirchandani of TCH.

“TCH has planned to prepare four capsules till December for which the HIV patients gathered in Pune were trained by experts from the fields of radio journalism and HIV issues and various formats of song-based, interview-based and story-based programmes were taught to them. Topics on HIV/AIDS, need for mainstreaming HIV positive persons, need to look at HIV affected and infected children and need for healthcare within family and community were selected as broad themes,” added Mirchandani.

According to the organisers, at the end of the workshop, all the participants will be provided with the recorders and they will submit ideas within mid-September. The recording of the programmes will be completed within mid-October.

“It’s for the first time HIV+ people are participating in such a project. There’s a lot to learn. It will be a good opportunity to spread good things among the public,” said Shabana Patel, MNP state head and one of the participants.