WAD: RED TINT

(Red Tint: Rise, Empower, and Defend Towards People with HIV/AIDS Together by Unity)

SCORA CIMSA UPH

A person with HIV/AIDS or commonly referred to as ODHA are often rejected by society. Therefore they often shun themselves off from other people. But did you know that HIV does not transmit that easily?

On Saturday, the 8st of December, SCORA CIMSA Universitas Pelita Harapan in collaboration with SCORA Universitas Indonesia, SCORA Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, and SCORA Universitas YARSI held an event called "Red Tint: Rise, Empower, and Defend Towards People with HIV/AIDS Together by Unity" in honour of the World AIDS Day, internationally celebrated on the 1st of December annually. Red Tint the main event of a massive regional collaborative project which was preceded by individual bonding with ODHA sessions by each SCORA from the 4 universities of Region 3. The main event was composed of a talkshow session with 4 accomplished members of the ODHA community (Orang Dengan HIV AIDS), games, quizzes, and also a free VCT. This activity was held at Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Pelita Harapan with around 100 people attending, most of which were SCORA members. The main objective of this event is to break the negative stigma that society has upon people with HIV/AIDS. By inviting esteemed speakers from the ODHA community, we hope this event could open people's eyes and debunk common misconceptions about the disease.

The talkshow was focused mainly on the experience of these amazing ODHAs who has battled and won against their disease, chose to live their lives to the fullest, and become inspiring public figures not just for the ODHA community but also for all of us. The esteemed guests were Hartini, Miko Harun, Septa Aditia, and Patrick Johanes. These are the ODHAs that has opened up to the public and is fighting to break the stigma towards this community. Although they were devastated at first, they decided that being diagnosed with HIV wasn't going to get the best of them. They turned his situation around and chose to do positive things with his time such as becoming a speaker for HIV/AIDS topics, attending public events, and helping fellow HIV positive people rise up, among other things. They shared inspiring stories that prove that being diagnosed with HIV is no reason to stop living one's life. They are living proof that ODHAs can also life a normal life and deserve to be treated as a human being just like everyone else. The talkshow was then followed by a questions and answers session where the attendees could satiate their curiosity and also learn so many new, important, and interesting things that they haven't known or might have gotten wrong before.

The OC gained much experience throughout organizing this event and the participants showed high enthusiasm, as seen in their active involvement in the sessions. At the end of the project, they agreed that they have gained much understanding in regards to people living with HIV/AIDS and just the disease in general. All in all, this activity was meant to shatter the stigma towards people with HIV/AIDS, as according to the CIMSA Program: HIV AIDS and other STDs. Avoid the disease, not the person.