Imphal, December 18 2008: In connection with its third foundation day celebration, All Manipur Anti-Drug Association (AMADA) today distributed nutritional supports and stationery items to children affected with HIV/AIDS apart from depositing an amount of Rs 10,000 in the bank as fixed deposit in the name of a child living with HIV/AIDS and whose parents too have died from the disease.

The places where the nutritional supports and stationery items were distributed including Hands for Peaceful Society (20 children), Manipur Network of Positive People (30 children), Care Foundation (30 children), Kripa Foundation (30 children) and Indian AIDS Consortium (20 children) .

While expressing gratitude to AMADA for the nutritional supports provided to their children, the parents and other elderly family members of the children have regretted the failure of the State Government to come out with a policy for the HIV affected children population of the State.

The grandfather of a child orphaned by HIV/AIDS said it is very unfortunate that the Government has not been able to extend any nutritional and educational support to those children in the society whose both the parents or one of the parents have died from HIV/AIDS.

The little nutritional supports being received from the private funding agencies outside Manipur is not enough to meet the requirement of these children.

Moreover, the support of these funding agencies is not being received every month and the nutritional support could not be given for many months as the fund is not released in time, the 70-year old grandfather who is staying along with his grandson at Kripa Society informed.

Talking to mediapersons at the occasion of distributing the nutritional support and stationary items, human resource secretary of AMADA Bobo said that we should give up the habit of depending on outside funding agencies and try to be promote self reliant and mutual support.

After the end of their respective projects, these funding agencies would also stop providing the nutritional support and educational support being given to our children earlier.

Moreover, when the fund is not released in time, there is the problem of ensuring the nutritional and educational support of the children.

So we should pool together whatever resources we have and work toward combating the problem of HIV/AIDS with sincerity.

He further explained that the distribution of the nutritional support as well as the fixed deposit amount of Rs 10,000 in the bank has been made possible with the income earned from selling the Ningol Blue Excel detergent powder manufactured by a group of women who have been affected by HIV/AIDS.

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