Red ribbon club, an initiative undertaken by the Tamil Nadu AIDS Control Society (TANSACS) to effectively prevent HIV-AIDS among youth between 17to 25 years of age through awareness, has put out roots in more than 100 colleges in delta districts but is yet to be taken as a serious service initiative, particularly in self-financing colleges.
The voluntary on-campus intervention receives assistance from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, U.S.A. The clubs receive step-motherly treatment in some colleges, as more often than not, Red ribbon programme officers also double up as N.S.S. coordinators. In a meeting on Friday at Bharathidasan University, some officers felt self-financing and autonomous colleges did not give priority to the initiative. A programme officer said staff were not encouraged to attend the orientation and refresher courses prerequisite to organising any activity in the campus.
Ninety per cent of programme officers are thrust with additional charge and do not take up the post voluntarily, says L.Ganesan, coordinator, Red Ribbon Club, Bharathidasan University. Though the minimum period of office for a programme officer is three years, there was constant change in authority in most self –financing colleges, that hampered implementation of activities, said V.Muthaiah, regional manager, Red ribbon club programme, TANSACS. As most of the officers are young lecturers, their migration hampers the continuity.
Mr. Muthaiah appealed to colleges to document all activities conducted by the club including utilization of funds. Apart from serving as a record, it would be a ready reckoner for successive programme officers. Fund constraints also came in the way of activities said programme officers, adding that the allocated amount of Rs.5,000 a year was sufficient to provide refreshments for students during programmes. However, Mr.Ganesan pointed out instances where few colleges had sought sponsorships to conduct programmes. There was little in the way of honorarium for programme officers to motivate them.
