Caltex supports HIV/AIDs infected and families

Chevron Lubricants Lanka PLC, manufacturer and marketer of Caltex branded Lubricants in Sri Lanka, recently joined hands with The Salvation Army for the annual HIV and AIDS families’ get-together. Over 400 families from this community participated. Caltex has worked previously on several HIV/AIDs prevention programs.

The event was designed to provide the opportunity for the HIV/AIDS infected community to reach out to one another. Infected families from AIDs organisations - Lanka Pulse, Positive Women Network, Positive Hope Allianz and children below the age of 10 were amongst those who participated.

Held at the Salvation Army Sri Lanka headquarters in Colombo the day’s agenda comprised of several team-building and confidence boosting activities. Songs, games, drama, mimes, and a family gift-giveaway segment were also organised.

“Though the rate of prevalence is low in our country today, it’s spreading faster than ever before with the country recording close to 300 patients a year.

The sustainability we speak of will not be a reality unless we protect one another. All Sri Lankans need to join hands to fight against this.

It is important for each one of us to advocate a change through awareness, whilst managing the social stigma factor in a sensible manner.

Due to the issue of social stigma, proper preventative and curative treatment is avoided by most individuals”, said Managing Director/CEO of Chevron Lubricants Lanka PLC Kishu Gomes.

“Communities respond in fear and are ignorant to issues related to HIV and AIDS. Integrating this community, and giving them hope and confidence will help them to interact in society and contribute meaningfully again”, said Coordinator HIV and AIDS of the Salvation Army Ms. Swarna de Silva.

Chevron recently stepped forward to help eradicate the spread of AIDS through a major awareness campaign for over 1000 private sector employees.

A series of awareness building seminars were conducted together with the Lanka Business Coalition on HIV and AIDS, with the specific aim of building AIDS ambassadors on ‘Safety, Protection and Awareness’.