Stakeholders speak

A compilation of messages from the stakeholders.

Here are some of the reflections of our partners and stakeholders’ on the contribution made by the ILO project in India.

Stakeholders speak...

“…I compliment the ILO for their outstanding support to our fight against HIV/AIDS and more importantly, for bringing to the fore the important need to focus upon industrial workers, migrant labour and workers engaged in the informal sector. The work done by the Ministry of Labour and the ILO in getting the partnership between private industries, worker unions, government bodies and other stakeholders is indeed exemplary and a model to emulate.”
Ms. K. Sujatha Rao, Secretary and Director General, NACO, excerpts from her message in ILO’s Training Manual for Enterprises (published in August 2009)

“…ILO has played a key role in strengthening the workplace response to HIV/AIDS by offering comprehensive technical support. The manual has been finalized on the basis of experience acquired through several training workshops. The manual has also been test checked by a number of large corporate and public sector enterprises who found it useful and relevant…. I congratulate ILO for preparing this manual which will go a long way in disseminating authentic information on HIV/AIDS and which will have a lasting impact on workers’ attitude and behaviour.”
Mr. S. K. Srivastava, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment, GOI, Excerpts from his message in ILO’s Training Manual for Enterprises (published in August 2009)

“ …A lot of momentum had been built as a result of ILO’s work with the central government, SACS, and NACO, which needs to be utilized effectively”
Ms. Kimberly Waller, Coordinator of U. S. Govt. HIV/AIDS PEPFAR Programme during the ILO Dissemination Workshop on 10 September 2009 in New Delhi.

“…Only because of the training (ILO), I am able to stand here. I am sharing my knowledge and experiences with many companies. A constable was sick and came for treatment of an opportunistic infection. Now he is back in the job. Advocacy with the Commissioner helped….”
Mr. Hari Singh, a person living with HIV, during the ILO Dissemination Workshop on 10 September 2009 in New Delhi.

“…Tell me, I may forget. Show me, I may remember. Involve me (like ILO’s workshop), I will never forget.”
Mr. Arun Kumar Rai (Ambuja Cement Ltd.) sharing his feedback in the Joint Trainers Training Programme on HIV/AIDS for Employers’ Organizations and Corporates in November 2009, New Delhi

“…ILO’s way of sharing information is exclusive.”
Mr. Deepak Tewari (Sona Koyo Steering Systems Ltd.) sharing his feedback in the Joint Trainers Training Programme on HIV/AIDS for Employers’ Organizations and Corporate in November 2009, New Delhi

“…The best thing about the workshop was that, it was grounded in reality and taught how to get down to business”
Ms. Priyadarshini Trivedi, Team Leader- PPP & Mainstreaming, Technical Support Unit, Bihar, sharing her feedback on the ILO Skill Building Workshop on HIV/AIDS Workplace Interventions for State AIDS Control Societies (SACS) & Technical Support Units (TSU) in November 2008, New Delhi

“…I feel confident of handling the subject of HIV/AIDS…..I have attended a number of corporate trainings, but I found this many shades better than those trainings.”
Mr. Sidharth Wadia, PepsiCo, on the Joint Training of Employers and Corporate Groups on HIV/AIDS Workplace Interventions (WPI) in August 2008, New Delhi



"... The fact that we are starting the training programme for our people on a Monday Morning - the beginning of the business week, itself shows our commitment to respond to HIV/AIDS....."

said Mr. Shyam Bang, Executive Director, Jubilant Organosys while opening the two day Master Trainers Training on HIV/AIDS on 21 July 2008.

"... For advocacy and awareness raising, the efforts of the project have really been laudable and the response observed at the level of the stakeholders and corporate houses was a reflection of this."
Mr J.P. Singh, Special Secretary, MOL&E, during interview as part of project review in November 2006.

"... of all the USDOL projects in the country, I would rate this as the best run project in terms of management and impact."
Mr Sukesh, Adviser (Political and Labour ), USAID India in November 2006.

"We do not do this work as a formality; we feel from inside that this is something that has to be done."
Medical Office, CCL, Jharkhand, as told to the Mid Term Assessment Team in November 2006.

"... It has now become part of our personal mission and we cannot but continue with the work."
A Peer Educator in BEST, Mumbai as told to the Mid Term Assessment Team in November 2006.

"... While the positive networks have received training from many sources, the ILO provided a different flavour to the training, a workplace flavour!! Eliminating workplace discrimination is very important to PLHIV."
President of INP+ in an interview as part of project review in November 2006.

"... Had it not been for the ILO, it would have been impossible for the Unions to be working with NACO."
Nodel person at HMS during interview for the project review in November 2006.

"... I have now been married for 30 years; it is only today that I learnt how to be working with NACO."
One of the trainer, Commenting on the high quality of training in a Master Trainer program.

"... HIV/AIDS is gradually emerging as a priority issue for the trade unions, and the ILO project has played a key role in this."
Mr A.K. Dakshi, Secretary, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) in the Trade Union Consultation on 1 October 2004, New Delhi.

"... workers organizations are greatly concerned about the problem of HIVA/IDS and have been taking active interest in all activities concerning prevention of HIV/AIDS whether conducted by government, employers and even some NGOs."
Mr R. A. Mittal, Secretary, Hind Mazdoor Sabha, in the Stakeholders' Meeting on 19 July 2001, New Delhi.

"... We the People living with HIV/AIDS are very important in the prevention of HIV. Our bodies are the battleground of the epidemic. Whether policies or laws are made affect us first and then the rest. So we should be equal partners in planning and implementation of AIDS programmes. Here I would like to acknowledge the efforts made by ILO for including me as a representative of PLWHA in the Project Management Team of their project......"
Ms Celina D'Costa, a person living with HIV/AIDS, representing PLWHA (People Living with HIV/AIDS) in the Stakeholders' Meeting on 19 July 2001, New Delhi.

"... I encourage you to take a keen interest in this programme. The company is very committed to this issue (HIV/AID), and we are happy to collaborate with the ILO."
Mr D.R. Dhariwal, CEO and MD, Birla NGK Insulators, Kolkata addressing the perr educators training at their premises on 30 July 2004.

"If you take away our jobs, you will kill us faster than the virus. We have great expectations from the world of work. If we are not sacked from jobs due to our HIV status, this ensures us a regular income and keeps us going. ".... now you can imagine what you could do for us by keeping us in employment till we can work. This is my appeal to the government officials, employers and trade unions present in this meeting today."
Naveen Kumar, a Person Living with HIV/AIDS, addressing the constituents of ILO at the Stakeholders' Meeting in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh on 29 March 2003.

"... To my mind, the report (ILO's study on Socio-economic impact of HIV/AIDS on People Living with HIV/AIDS & their families) gives us one message very clearly and that is, HIV/AIDS is a real threat, it has started showing adverse effects in India. We shall make mistake if we don't take these finding seriously and strengthen our response to HIV/AIDS. As Chairman of the ILO - AIDS Project Management Team, I am particularly impressed by the fact that People Living with HIV/AIDS are involved at every stage. They are represented in the Project Management Team as well as all training and advocacy efforts. Their involvement can be extremely useful in prevention as well care programmes."
Shri Baleshwar Rai, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment at the release function of ILO's study on Socio-economic impact of HIV/AIDS on People Living with HIV/AIDS & their families, on 14 October 2003, New Delhi.

".........in this study (ILO study on Socio-economic impact of HIV/AIDS on People Living with HIV/AIDS & their families), we have for the first time an articulation of the needs of the People Living with HIV/AIDS.....We are happy that this study has come out from the positive people networks. When we talk of involvement of positive people, it is necessary but the question is, who will build capacity? The ILO has been doing it."
Dr Sadhana Rout, Joint Director, IEC, National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) at the release function of ILO's study on Socio-economic impact of HIV/AIDS on People Living with HIV/AIDS & their families, on 14 October 2003, New Delhi.

"........ The ILO Project has been developed following a series of consultations. NACO is looking foward to the project and hopes that the project will be able to contribute towards enhancing the workplace response to HIV/AIDS in India." Mr J.V.R. Prasada Rao, Project Director, NACO during the launch of the ILO India project on 19 July 2001.